Make the Last Year Count: A Hogwarts TMI AU
by FandomFics
Summary: Its Alec's last year at Hogwarts, and he can't wait for school to end. And this year is the Triwizard Tournament, so naturally the whole school is buzzing with excitement. Still, Alec doubts this year will be any better than the last six years. But what happens when a certain Slytherin (that he had a crush on for a while) finally starts to notice him? Hints of Sizzy and Clace
1. Chapter 1

_Alec POV_

"I can't believe this is your last year!"

Alec and his sister Izzy were sitting in the back of the rental car, heading to King's Cross Station. Their parents were sitting in the front, Robert with his hands on the wheel and Maryse's face turned to look at her children. She and Izzy started talking a million miles a minute about who knows what. Alec and Izzy's little brother, Max, was sitting between the two. He was still too young to go to Hogwarts, and Alec felt a little sad that he wouldn't be able to see him sorted.

Because, as his sister exclaimed, it was his last year. The last six years flew by quicker than he expected, and now he was about to take his second to last ride on the Hogwarts Express, watch his last sorting, and have his last welcome back feast. And to be honest, he was glad the end was near. He barely had any friends at the school besides the kids in Izzy's year, and he didn't even like some of them that much. He didn't play Quidditch, so he wasn't going to miss that, and he didn't really feel like he fit in with everyone else, which is probably why he only hanged out with Izzy's friends in Gryffindor.

That was one thing that marked Alec as different. So far, every member of his family had been placed in Gryffindor, and Max was likely to be sorted there as well, while Alec was the first in generations of the Lightwood family to be placed in Ravenclaw. Alec was shocked when the Sorting Hat shouted it to the Great Hall. It had taken the hat a long time to decide (it was stuck between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw) but, in the end, for some reason, it chose Ravenclaw. The fact that he was in Ravenclaw didn't bother Alec that much, until his third year when he watched his sister get sorted into, you guessed it, Gryffindor (the hat barely touched her head before it made its decision).

He heard his sister's voice now, and he left his thoughts in time to hear "-they are having the Triwizard Tournament again this year."

"What?" Alec said, looking over, confused.

"You didn't know?" his sister replied, shocked.

"I-I guess must have forgot."

"How could you forget the _Triwizard Tournament_? Especially now that you are old enough to participate!"

"You're old enough too, Izzy," their mother said, smiling. "They increased the safety precautions so that more students could have a chance to participate since it's only held every five years. The youngest age you have to be to enter is 14."

"YES!" Izzy shouted.

"Isabelle, I'm trying to drive. Could you please lower your voice," Robert called from the front.

"Oooooooo-kaaaaaaay," she whispered back.

Alec, though he couldn't see it, knew his father was rolling his eyes.

_Great_, Alec thought, _so much for having a chance to participate_. Not that he thought he would have made it anyway. Alec wasn't even sure if he would have even entered himself. Now that he stood no chance, not against the likes of Izzy and Jace, even if they were younger, there was no point of entering other than for the sake of doing it. He probably would be pressured into doing it by Jace anyway. _Oh well_, he thought to himself, _I've got nothing to lose anyway_.

Alec had just finished that thought when they pulled up to the station.

* * *

"Of course I'm going to enter," Jace said.

Alec was sitting across from him, leaning against the window on the train. Clary was on his right, and Izzy was next to Alec, with Simon on her other side. Jace had his arm around Clary's shoulder and Simone was sitting awkwardly next to Izzy, clearly not sure if he should grab her hand or do anything to show that they were in fact dating. Simon was always unsure like that when it came to relationships, quite opposite to the confidence of Jace.

Despite the age difference, Jace was Alec's best friend, believe it or not. Alec didn't know how or why, but for some reason, in Jace's first year, the two quickly bonded and stayed like that. And even though the two were in different houses, they still spent a lot of time together. They would do their homework in the library (Alec would help Jace whenever he needed help), visit each other's tables in the Great Hall, race each other to the other side of the black lake, have snowball fights in the winter, and walk around Hogsmeade together, buying sweets and toys and getting butterbeer. Alec would even help Jace practice Quidditch when there was no team practice for Gryffindor and the two were free.

At first, Alec had a crush on the young Gryffindor. Alec had already known that he himself was gay, Isabelle being the only other person who knew at the time. He kept hoping that maybe when Jace was older he would feel the same way for him, and until than Jace didn't need to know how he felt. However, by the Jace's third year, it was clear that he liked Clary, his fellow Gryffindor with the fiery red hair and a knack for art. Seriously, the girl could make a better drawing with a quill than Alec could with magic.

And he hated it. Well, he did at first, with his jealousy getting the best of him. But after a while, Jace and Clary started dating and Alec was forced to put up with her and get to know her else he would damage his friendship with Jace. So, as he spent more time with her (and her annoying friend, Simon), he realized that Jace really did like her and there was no hope for him. Alec forced himself to get over Jace, and he realized Clary wasn't half as annoying as he originally thought. He still wouldn't consider her a good friend, but at least he could handle a conversation with her.

"So, Alec, are you going to enter?" Jace looked over, smirking.

"I'm not really sure. I don't think I will actually, it's not really my thing," Alec replied shrugging.

"Come on, you have to! It's your last year! Make it memorable," Izzy said encouragingly.

"What will there be for me to remember if I, I don't know,_ die_?"

"You'll be fine. Come on, don't be such a wuss," Jace said jokingly.

"How's this; I'll think about it," Alec replied.

"Fine, but I _will_ get you to enter," Jace said, smiling

"Whatever." Alec felt himself smile back.

Alec let his gaze wander to the corridor, just in time to see a certain Slytherin walk by with a group of friends, laughing. Alec's heat skipped a beat.

Right there, walking by without even noticing Alec and his little group of friends, was what caused Alec to fully move on from Jace.

_Magnus Bane._


	2. Chapter 2

_Magnus POV_

The Great Hall erupted with a million conversations.

The Headmaster had just announced the rule change in the Triwizard Tournament, which allowed students fourteen and up to enter, a change that Magnus did not know or expect coming. Of course, he knew the tournament would be this year, how could he forget. Especially since he is old enough this year, and compared to most of the students in his year, he thought he had a pretty good chance of being the school champion. He had looked forward to this.

But now, with the rule change, he wasn't so sure he would be able to make it in. While most kids in _his_ year didn't stand a chance, the students in the younger years proved to be quite the competition, especially that Herondale kid on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He didn't know much about the Chaser, other than the fact that he was basically the star of the team, ever since the kid's third year. Since then, Gryffindor hardly ever lost a match, and it angered Magnus, the Slytherin Keeper, whenever he saw Mr. Goldilocks fly away as the score went up.

"Hey, Magnus, guess I will get to enter," called Raphael, a 4th year student, who previously was pissed at the fact that the Triwizard Tournament would never be when he was old enough and still in school.

"Shut up, Santiago. It's not like you are going to be the champion anyway," replied a fourth year Slytherin from the other end of the table.

"Oh, and you will?"

"Have you seen me? I'm ripped!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Magnus replied. "You've got as much muscle as a piece of paper."

"Whatever," the kid said, and he turned back to his friend.

"No, but seriously Magnus, this is going to be the biggest year yet," Raphael said, the other Slytherin already forgotten.

Magnus looked over at him. "You bet, I just hope that Herondale kid doesn't become the school champion."

"Oh God, I forgot about him," Raphael replied, his face falling. "Now I know I have no chance. Magnus, you better be the champion, or at least some other student. I don't care who. Anyone would be better, even that Simon kid."

"Who?"

"Just some fifth year that hangs out in the library a lot."

"Well, I'd rather have him be the champion than Jace any day."

Magnus wasn't sure how, but he considered Raphael to be a really good friend. They spent a lot of time together and they always sat across from each other in the Great Hall. Somehow, the fourth year made it into Magnus's group of friends. Magnus didn't even know any of Raphael's friends that were his age or even if he had any. Still, most of the younger students tended to look up to and listen to Raphael. The rest hated him, probably out of jealousy of the fourth year who somehow hangs out with seventh year students.

"You boys don't stand a chance," said Camille.

Camille Belcourt, Magnus's on-and-off-girlfriend-slash-friend. At the moment, the two weren't dating but they somehow got along even when they weren't together. They would even hook each other up with other people. New students always found it weird but they soon realized that it was normal between the two.

Camille had tried to hook Magnus up with some guy (a Hufflepuff) on the train (it didn't work out; the guy had one passion and one passion only, gardening, and he would not shut up about it). Everyone at school was aware of Magnus's sexual orientation, and somehow everyone was okay with it, yet there were still some kids who didn't agree with a wizard or witch being in a relationship with a muggle. Nonetheless, more kids were feeling more comfortable with their sexual orientations (which was great for Magnus) since they learned that a previous headmaster had been gay. It made everyone at the school feel more welcome.

Camille and Raphael were currently arguing about who had a better chance of being the school champion. Camille was in the middle of saying "-scored higher in my OWLS than him-" when the Headmaster tapped his glass and the tables cleared.

"Now that we all have our bellies filled, I believe it's time we head off to bed," he said, his voice echoing through the room. "Prefects, please escort the first years to their beds, and the rest of you can follow after. Goodnight to you all, and get a nice, long sleep because tomorrow classes begin. Come on, off you go."

As the students filled out, Magnus fell into step between Camille and Raphael, who had continued their argument. "You guys, it doesn't matter who you think will make it through. The goblet will choose, so it's up to it to decide who is the worthiest." Magnus paused for a moment. "Besides, we all know it will be my name that gets shot out from the flames, so all your bickering is pointless."

"Oh, shut up, Bane," Camille said, shoving Magnus, who stumbled into Raphael. Raphael simply glared and pushed Magnus into Camille. Camille pushed Magnus again, and Magnus shoved both of them aside.

The three kept pushing and shoving each other and by the time they got to the dungeons they were all laughing. They bid each other goodnights and headed to their rooms. Magnus found his trunk on top of his bed, just like every year before. Right then, it really sunk in that this was his _last_ year at Hogwarts. He just had his last welcome back feast and he was about to have his last first day of classes tomorrow. He felt a little sad that this year would be filled with a lot of lasts; his last Halloween feast, his last Christmas in the castle, his last day of classes, and his last ride on the Hogwarts express. He wouldn't even get to have another Quidditch match this year, what with the Triwizard Tournament and the other schools arriving. The last few years had been the best years of his life, especially since the years before had been a nightmare. He had been left at an orphanage by his father after his mother committed suicide when he was just a boy. He felt abandoned and he missed his mother. When he came to Hogwarts, he finally felt like he belonged. He made friends and everyone seemed to like him. He would miss the school, his friends here and all the memories they made together.

As Magnus lay in bed that night, trying to fall asleep, he promised that he would make this year worth remembering. He would make it better than every other year; he'd make it special. And, with that promise in mind, he eventually fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_Alec POV_

The corridors were crowded with students.

Alec was rushing to his second class that day. He had been held back talking with the potions master about the most recent assignment. He was going to be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts if he didn't hurry.

It was early October, and the school was buzzing with excitement. The other schools were going to arrive at the end of the month and that was all anyone could talk about. You could hear snippets of gossip as you made your way through the corridor. Everyone seemed to have their own tale of where the schools are ("I hear they go to school in a pyramid in Egypt; the accents are just meant to throw us off"), how they are going to arrive ("No, seriously, I heard from an uncle of a friend of a friend that all of the students get their own pet dragon and they will be riding them here"), and which school they predict will win ("Definitely Hogwarts" "Sorry, but no. As sad as I am to say this, it will be Durmstrang; they won last time"). Some were even talking guesses at what the tasks would be ("Maybe they'll have to fight a giant; the one who knocks the giant out the quickest gets the most points"). But, by far, the biggest topic was, of course, "who will be the Hogwarts champion?"

But Alec paid no mind to any of it. He had but minutes to get to the other end of the school, and all of the people who were standing around, talking about the Triwizard Tournament, were just obstacles that Alec had to maneuver around. So, he just kept his head down and pushed his way through the crowd, hoping no one would stop him or bother him. He quickened his pace, knowing he was running out of time and-

_Crash_

Paper and books went flying everywhere, and an ink bottle crashed on the floor.

"_Shit_," Alec whispered. He bent down and started gathering up his stuff.

"Whoa, sorry, let me help you," replied a familiar voice.

Alec froze. He would recognize that voice anywhere. The voice that was the announcer at Quidditch matches (except the Slytherin matches), giving nicknames to all the players and critiquing their hair and fashion choices, even though they all wore the same thing. The voice that called out to his friends across the corridor and made jokes, with laughter following close behind. The voice from the other side of the classroom in earlier years that made snide remarks, talked back to the teacher, yet still got questions right when asked and was one of the best in the class. The voice of a guy who wore makeup and glitter, and wasn't at all ashamed of it or of anything else about himself for that matter. The voice that belonged to a tall, lean, and lightly muscled student with cat-like eyes of a yellow-green color, eyes that were looking down... down at… Alec.

Alec could barely hear anything over the beating of his own heart as he looked at Magnus. "N-No, no I'm good. I-I got it," Alec mumbled, turning his head back to the floor, sure he had sounded like an idiot. He continued to gather his stuff back together, determined not to look at the Slytherin and get out of that situation as quick as possible.

Magnus helped him gather his stuff anyway. Alec tried to ignore tingly feeling that went through his body every time he brushed his hand with the Slytherin whenever Magnus handed back a textbook or a quill. He was sure his pale skin was deeply flushed by now and he hoped Magnus wouldn't notice. When he had all of his stuff together, he mumbled a thank you and started to walk away, but he was stopped by Magnus's hand on his arm. A shock coursed through his body from where Magnus's hand held his arm, and Alec had to use all of his will power not to gasp in surprise.

Magnus was looking at him intently. "Wait, why haven't I seen you before? What's your name?" Magnus asked, a faint smile tugging at his lip-glossed mouth.

"Um, it's A-Alexander. Alexander Lightwood," Alec said, pulling away from Magnus. He started heading towards his next class. "B-but everyone calls me Alec." He put his head down and hurried away from Magnus without looking back.

Alec couldn't believe what just happened. He made a complete fool of himself the first time Magnus really noticed him. After years, that's how he introduced himself. "_Idiot_," Alec whispered to himself as he made his way through the corridors. "Perfect, now he will forever remember me as the stuttering klutz." And with that cheerful thought in mind, he arrived to his class, just in time. He took his seat and tried to erase the event from his brain and pay attention to the professor, but to no avail. The memory of Magnus's hands brushing his, of his hand on Alec's arm, forcing him to stay for a split-second longer brought butterflies to his stomach.

And, despite everything else that happened, Alec couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"Can you see them yet?"

"No. How about you?"

"Nope."

It was October 30th and the entire school was waiting outside for the other schools to arrive. Everyone was either searching the sky or they were staring at the Black Lake (then again, a few were taking turns staring at random places convinced that they would be riding giants or trolls or lions). Alec and the other older students knew exactly how they would arrive, having already seen the underwater ship and the large carriage flown by horses in their second or first year. For some reason, they decided to host the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts for two years in a row (then again, there were rumors of Giant attacks on the Durmstrang Institute and that the Beauxbaton Institute was in being renovated…again, though nothing was confirmed). Most of the younger kids had heard the stories but some still didn't know what to expect.

"Hey, Alec, you see anything yet," Jace called.

"Nope. They're late, just like last time," Alec called back over the wind.

"Well, they better hurry up. I'm freezing my but off!"

"It is really cold out here," Clary put in.

"Why do we have to wait out here anyway? Why can't we just stay inside," Simon asked.

"Come on, you don't want to see a carriage flown by Abraxan horses ," Izzy said, "or a ship pop up out of the water?"

"I've seen a ship come up out of the water! It has been done by muggles. It's called a _submarine_," Simone replied.

"Okay, fine, but it's not the same. And still, have you ever seen a _flying horse_?"

"Well I can see them from the warm and comfort of the Gryffindor Common Room."

"You're impossible," she sighed, leaning her head on Simon's shoulder. She shivered, giving away the fact that she too was in fact cold. Simon wrapped his arms around her to warm her up, and Alec looked up at the sky, just in time to witness a scene he had witnessed only once before.

He seemed to remember the carriage being a lot better, like the size of a mansion. Now, however, it looked about the size of a middle-class suburban home. At least the horses didn't fail to impress. Their long wings were beating up and down in sync.

His fifth year friends didn't seem to care; they were all gaping with awe. Clary had that dazed look in her eyes that she always got when she was imagining how the scene in front of her would look on parchment. She was probably mentally checking if she had all the right colors or if she would just have to make it in black and white (which Alec doubted she would settle for; she would probably write to her mother to send another supply of colored ink). Simon was shocked, staring in disbelief at the sky. Clearly he had not expected anything close to what his eyes currently beheld. Izzy looked equally shocked, even though she grew up with magic (unlike her muggle-born boyfriend) and had asked Alec to describe the scene over and over throughout the years (which Clary and Jace, who were purebloods like the lightwoods, had not).

Jace had stopped gazing at the sky to look at his girlfriend. Alec knew how much he loved the look she got when Clary got lost in her artistic mind (believe me; he had to endure months of Jace's endless babbling about her before the two started dating). Of course, Alec didn't mind it anymore. Anything that made his friend happy made him happy.

And at that moment, the thing that was making _all_ of his friends happy was landing on the ground in front of them. There was a collective intake of breath when the horses landed with the carriage right behind them. Everyone watched in silence with mouths open as the door to the Beauxbatons Carriage slowly creaked open.

Having seen this all before, Alec wasn't sure he would be able handle the next round surprised gasps that were sure to come when the Durmstrang students arrived.

* * *

The Headmaster's voice boomed through the hall.

"I would like to welcome our guests, who will be staying with us for the rest of the year. I hope you will treat them the same as you treat any student here at Hogwarts." He smiled at the Durmstrang students, who chose to sit at the Gryffindor table this year, and the Beauxbaton students, who were sitting at the Slytherin table, after one guy (clearly the star of the school; everyone followed him) saw the likes of Camille and Magnus. The three started talking and laughing right away, and they even got along with Raphael. However, with the greater number of students this year, some chose to sit at Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and at those tables all three schools socialized.

Alec himself was sitting with the Gryffindors, which he now realized wasn't the best decision as he was currently squished between Jace and a 15 year old Durmstrang student. He had sneaked over from the Ravenclaw table because he was so sure that the Beauxbaton students would have sat there. It's where they usually sat (or where they sat last time, but he heard that they tended to sit there from one of the ghosts), and Alec had planned to avoid being in the situation he was currently in. But, of course, he had forgotten that Gryffindor was a popular choice for the Durmstrang Institute (that and Slytherin of course, but Beauxbaton had taken residence there since they arrived first).

Now Alec was sure he would be as thin as spaghetti when he finally got to stand up. If the schools had come only a few years ago, the fact of being squished up against Jace would have thrilled Alec, but now it just came as an annoyance. Alec only hoped the headmaster would hurry up his speech so that he could finally stand up and stretch his legs. Then he could enter his name (which Jace had finally convinced him to do) and go to sleep. He knew his sister and friends couldn't wait to get up either, and he could see Izzy's need in her eye's to get away from the guy who was currently trying to flirt wi- wait, never mind. She elbowed him in the gut.

_Classic Isabelle_, Alec thought, shaking his head. He had just been thinking of kicking the guy in the shin when she made her move, which was good because Alec probably would have missed (given that there were literally 20 sets of legs in Alec's range) and end up kicking her instead.

"Now, the Triwizard Tournament is held every 5 years," said the headmaster, bringing back everyone's attention, "and it consists of three dangerous tasks that will test you to your limits. Three of you will be put up to the challenge, but only one will win the grand prize of 1000 galleons. But, the question we are all asking is, 'which among you will be up to the task?' So…"

The headmaster went through the same speech he told at the last Triwizard Tournament. He explained the rules, the rule _change_, and how it would work. All the while, Alec tried his best to pay attention, but having already heard most of it, some small part of his brain started to wander. And there it was, in the way back of his mind, trying to resurface itself; his encounter with Magnus.

_No, no, no, not you_, Alec thought, attempting to erase the memory for the umpteenth time, still to no avail. He settled for pushing it to the back of his mind, where it remained a constant nagging reminder throughout the whole speech.

Before Alec knew it, the speech was over and Jace as tugging at Alec's robe. "Come on, get up. We have to put our names in the Goblet of Fire."

Alec allowed himself to be pulled up by Jace. He followed him to the end of the hall, where they met up with Simon, Izzy, and Clary.

"Finally," Clary began as they made their way to the Goblet. "I felt like I was being squashed like a bug back there."

"At least you didn't have some guy trying to flirt with you," replied Izzy.

"_What_!" Simon, who clearly didn't notice despite the fact that he was sitting next to her during the speech, exclaimed. "Which one was it?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied. "I elbowed him in the gut."

"Nice, Izzy!" Jace called.

"Okay, can we just get this over with," asked Alec.

"Yea, yea, fine," Jace answered.

They had reached the Goblet by then. Some students were already placing their names. The rest were heading to their rooms, probably planning to enter in the morning when there were less people around it. The students from the other schools were following their headmasters out of the castle, the Durmstrang students to their ship, and the Beauxbaton students to their carriage. Some were taking looks at the Hogwarts students, scanning them up and down. They were probably sizing up their competition. Others offered smiles or waves as they walked by.

Jace was first of their group to place his name, to which some students cheered. Izzy was right after him, and Simon and Clary followed right after her, choosing to place their names at the same time. Alec clutched the paper with his name on it, which he had quickly scribbled on, along with his school, earlier that day. It was his turn. He stepped over the age line and dropped his name in. A weight lifted off his shoulders as he watched his paper get swallowed up by the flames. He smiled. It was done. No turning back. No changing the past.

And, maybe, for once, Alec didn't want to change it.

* * *

"Now, now, settle down. I know you are all eager to know who the champions are," said the Headmaster.

The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement; most people barely touched any of the food from the Halloween Feast. Everyone kept looking at the Headmaster during the feast to see if he was done with his food yet.

Alec was sitting at the Gryffindor table again. Alec could see Magnus sitting between Raphael and Camille. The Beauxbaton guy had his arm around Camille and the two were just brought out of their conversation by the Headmaster's voice. Magnus's eyes were scanning the hall, and he was currently working his eyes up the Gryffindor table. Alec quickly put his head down, hoping Magnus's gaze would pass over him and the Slytherin wouldn't notice him. At least it wasn't Magnus the Beauxbaton guy had his arm around. Alec wasn't sure he'd be able to handle that.

The Headmaster continued, "It is time for the Goblet to make its decision, and-," the flames in the Goblet of Fire had turned red. A piece of paper was shot out, which the Headmaster caught.

He read the note and announced, "The champion from Beauxbaton is… Jean André Courtade!"

Everyone at the Slytherin table stood up and turned to face the guy who had his arm around Camille. He turned shouted over the applause, "I prefer just Jean André!" His English was pretty good, surprisingly. He smiled at Camille and headed over to the Headmaster and shook his hand. He had a head of dark, curly hair and green eyes. He was average height and lean, but clearly strong. He was pretty attractive too, which, even if Alec wasn't gay he would have thought so. At least the constant giggles from a group of girls down the table would have been enough to know that. Jean André made his way to the back room.

The Goblet turned red again, and a second piece of paper shot out.

"And the champion from the Durmstrang Institute is… Viria Karsten!"

A girl with red hair and blue eyes stood up. She was actually very pretty, even Alec could see that. With her curvy but lean figure, much like Izzy, she looked like the type of girl that could be on the cover of some muggle fashion magazine that the muggle-borns would get sent to them by their parents, who received the monthly subscriptions for them. She too went up to shake the Headmaster's hand, before following Jean André to the back room.

Only the Hogwarts champion remained. All the students held their breath, each one hoping that they or their friend or sibling is the champion. Alec too couldn't help but hope that he was the champion, despite the fuss he made about even entering. He knew he would be up to the challenge. Even though he wasn't in Gryffindor, the Hat _had_ seriously considered it. After seven years, Alec still didn't know why the Hat chose Ravenclaw instead.

As the flames turned red for the last time, everyone leaned forward. Time seemed to slow down as the final piece of paper was shot in the air, as the Headmaster caught it and looked it over.

"And, the Hogwart's champion, the final champion for this Triwizard Tournament, is…," he said, pausing for dramatic effect, but it only made everyone impatient. You could see that some of the students wanted to yell out "Well, who is it?" but no one did.

"The champion for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is…," and the headmaster looked around before his eyes landed on the Gryffindor table.

"Jace Herondale!"


	4. Chapter 4

_Magnus POV_

The Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables all stood up and started cheering. The Slytherin table stood up but there were many groans and barely any of them clapped.

Magnus just shook his head. _Of course the Herondale kid would be the champion_, Magnus thought, _literally everyone knew it would be him_. How could they not? He was Jace, the star of the Quidditch team and the winner of the Quidditch Cup. Jace, good looking (though not Magnus's type) and funny, with his quick, sarcastic and witty come-backs. Jace, top of his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Jace, boyfriend of the most talented artist in the school. Jace, who hung out with one of the most gorgeous girls at Hogwarts, who also had a very good sense for fashion and was also a chaser on the Quidditch team. Jace, who everyone either loved and aspired to be or wanted to punch in the face, but didn't because they knew he'd beat them in a fight. Jace, whose best friend went unnoticed, preferring to stand to the side of the spotlight, rather than in it. A friend who went by the name of Alec Lightwood.

_Alec Lightwood... _

_Alexander Lightwood…_

_Alexander_…

_Alec_, Magnus thought, repeating his name over and over in his mind in every way possible, testing how each sounded.

Magnus had not been able to get the boy out of his mind since their collision in the corridor. He had been heading to the Black Lake with his friends since none of them had a class at that time, not paying attention to where he was walking since after 6 years he knew the way like he knew the back of his hand, when the Ravenclaw suddenly crashed into him (muttering a curse as the books fell to the floor). "Whoa, sorry, let me help you," Magnus had told the boy, as he knelt down. But that was when the boy looked up for the first time, and Magnus was caught off guard by the boy's beauty. He had long, jet-black hair that stood out against his pale skin, skin that cover a tall, lean, and muscular body. But what really stood out were the boy's stunning blue eyes (which his Ravenclaw tie only helped in bringing them out). Magnus made a small gasp when he met Alec's eyes, which he hoped he didn't hear, but the boy quickly looked back down to pick up his books, not showing any notion that he heard him.

Magnus had really wanted to talk to him, but the boy was not paying attention to anything but his task so Magnus settled on talking to him when they finished gathering his stuff. But he made a point of trying to brush his fingers with the boy when handed Alec one of his books, just to see how he responded. Magnus smiled to himself when he saw the boy's skin flush lightly.

But when the two finished and stood up, Alec muttered thanks and quickly started to hurry away. Instinct caused Magnus to reach out and grab the Ravenclaw's arm, and he was glad he did for Alec's skin only flushed more deeply, and Magnus found it strangely endearing. Magnus had felt himself start to smile as he said, "Wait, why haven't I seen you before? What's your name?" The poor (and gorgeous) boy had stuttered as he replied with, "Um, it's A-Alexander. Alexander Lightwood." Magnus's grip had loosed for a second and the Ravenclaw took advantage of it and started to pull away and walk off. But he wasn't quite gone before he said, "B-but everyone calls me Alec." And with that he had hurried away, leaving Magnus to take in what just happened. His friends had called Magnus's name to get his attention. He had been a little surprised when he heard them. He had forgotten about them for the entirety of the scene. They started to ask him questions about what had gotten over him and they started to bug him about the boy, but Magnus paid no mind to anything they said. He just had one thought in his head: _Alexander Lightwood_.

How had he not noticed him before? They must have had class together at sometime throughout the years. The first few years, everyone took the same classes and Magnus knew the Slytherin kids had a class with the Ravenclaws at least a few times. So _why_ did Magnus feel like this was the first time he had ever met the boy? Surely he had heard his name, had _seen_ him, during the sorting in their first year. Now that he thought about it, he did have a faint memory of those blue eyes, of that black hair in the back of the classroom, but back then there wasn't anything particularly notable, besides his blue eyes, which he always hid under his hair. If there was one thing that was true, the years did a good job on the boy.

During the few weeks between then and now, Magnus spent his spare time searching for the boy, determined to talk to him again. But the boy was nowhere to be found. He checked the library, searched the Great Hall while he ate, got out of class as quick as possible to try and catch him in the hallway, and even walked by the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room one time when he got desperate. But it was all to no avail. Magnus had asked around to learn more about him, which is how he learned that he was best friends with Jace and the older brother of Isabelle. It was amazing how Magnus could have learned about the younger students and knew their names well, but he didn't even know about someone who was in his year.

Whether or not Alec was gay, Magnus had little doubt about it. With the boy's muttering and tendency to flush deep red whenever Magnus had brushed his fingers or when he laid a hand on him was clue enough. The only thing Magnus wasn't sure about was whether the Ravenclaw was out or not. As far as Magnus knew, he hadn't dated anyone before, nor had he voiced his feelings to anyone Magnus had asked. Magnus would have to find out later, when he finally got a chance to talk to Alec, who he suspected was avoiding him.

He searched the Gryffindor table for him as he did earlier once again, all still standing up and applauding, as Jace made his way to the headmaster. He looked for Clary, who he only knew about because she spent so much time with Jace, and would be easier to spot because of her red hair. He spotted her around the center of the table, beaming as she watched Jace walk to the back room. She was standing next to a now empty spot and on the other side of that empty spot was Alec, smiling for his friend.

"Found you," whispered Magnus to himself, thinking about how Alec's smile lit up his whole face.

"What?" Camille asked.

"Nothing," Magnus replied, still looking at Alec.

Camille followed his gaze, "Oh, so he's the one you've been looking for. I admit, he is something to look at, but with the way you've been acting, I expected model level looks." When Magnus didn't say anything, she continued. "Seriously, what has gotten into you? You barely even know him. I have never seen you like this. Did he put some spell on you?"

"No," Magnus replied simply.

"Well, the, I don't see…" Camille started, but was interrupted when the headmaster started to speak again. The students started to settle sown and the Gryffindors finally took their seats again.

As the headmaster began to speak again, Magnus saw Alec turn his head towards the Slytherin table. Magnus gave him a smile and winked, causing his skin to flush and he quickly looked back at the headmaster. Magnus smiled to himself, pleased with the boy's reaction.

And now that Magnus had sight of where Alec was, he wasn't going to let him get away so easy. He would make his way to Alec right when the Headmaster finished speaking.

However, much to Magnus's disappointment, he had not been able to reach Alec when the speech was over. The boy was like water, constantly slipping through his fingers. But Magnus was determined to find him, and he was going to make sure he succeeded.

* * *

Magnus spent the next couple of weeks searching for Alec. It was proving to grow more difficult to find him as the first task drew near. No knew what it would be but everyone was more than happy to share their predictions. And the increase in population at Hogwarts wasn't helping either. Even without the other schools, it seemed like the number of Hogwarts students tripled. No matter where you were, you would have groups of people that increased in number as a friend came by to share their new "findings". The surplus of people just blocked Magnus's way in the corridors and overfilled the Great Hall.

Magnus started searching for Jace's blonde head, for Clary's fiery red hair, and Isabelle's tall and curvy physique, hoping that Alec would be with them. However, whenever he saw Jace, he was surrounded by people asking about how he was preparing for the first task, and Alec was never nearby in those situations. Whenever he found Clary, she was usually with Jace, surrounded by the same group of people, or hanging with Simon (Raphael had pointed him to Magnus one day), but never with Alec (which was understandable because Magnus heard the two didn't have the best relationship). And Magnus rarely saw Isabelle except for when she was with Simon or Jace. But in all of these situations, Alec was nowhere near them. Magnus couldn't even find him in the Great Hall, where it seemed Alec had left the Gryffindor table for a while. He was definitely trying to hide from Magnus, though Magnus had no clue why. But, despite all of his failed attempts, Magnus still searched for him.

It was mid-November when Magnus found him. He was in the library with Jace, Isabelle, Clary, and Simon, and they were all looking for spells that might be useful in the first task. Well, Jace wasn't really looking for that matter and seemed to be dazing off, and Clary had put down her book and had proceeded to draw little sketches in the corner of her piece of parchment paper. Isabelle had put her book down as well, as did Simon and Alec, the three of which had started on their homework.

Magnus waited a few minutes by some history books when he heard Jace say that he was going back to the common room. Most everyone decided to go with, except Alec who said he wanted to finish one paragraph in his essay first. They all left, bidding him goodnights, and then Alec was left alone. His hair was covering his eyes as he looked down at his essay. Magnus knew this was his chance. He walked up to Alec on his right rather than his back, which would startle him way too much, or in front of him, which would take away the element of surprise. He walked up to the table and said,

"Why, hello there, Alexander. Fancy seeing you here."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, so I'm going back to school on Monday and I won't be able to post as often. I'll try to update at least once every week, but no promises. Thank you to those who stick around. I hope you are enjoying the story so far :)**

* * *

_Alec POV_

"Why, hello there, Alexander. Fancy seeing you here," said a familiar voice on Alec's right, shocking him so much that he nearly knocked over his ink.

Alec looked up and there he was, the boy he had been trying to avoid for over a month, standing before him looking as amazing as ever, with green streaks and glitter in his hair, and his lip-glossed mouth pulled up in a grin as he looked down at Alec. Ever since their encounter, Alec had tried his best to avoid the Slytherin, especially after Magnus winked at him from across the Great Hall. Alec was sure his face had turned the same shade as the Gryffindor scarlet. As if his stutter wasn't bad enough. He avoided Magnus in attempt to avoid making an even bigger fool of himself. He wasn't even sure why Magnus had winked at him, not to mention why he was even here now, talking to him.

Magnus sat in the chair on Alec's right, where Izzy had been sitting just moments before. He was still grinning as he asked, "We're being silent now, are we? Huh. I spend over a month trying to talk to a boy, and when I finally find him, he goes mute."

"What do you expect me to say when you drop by put of nowhere?" Alec answered, trying not to pay too much mind to the fact that _Magnus_ had been trying to talk to_ him_ for over a month.

"And he speaks! And a nice 'Hello' would be welcome," Magnus said, still grinning, causing Alec to give a shy smile.

"You know, you really should smile more," Magnus added.

Alec was nearly speechless. "W-What do you mean?"

"You should smile more. It lights up your whole face."

"Well, um, thank you. And, hello Magnus, I guess," Alec said shyly.

"There's the welcome I was looking for," Magnus said. "So, Alec, I'm so terribly sorry for interrupting you during your homework session but-"

"Oh, no, it's no problem, I was almost done anyways," Alec cut in anxiously, a little too quickly.

Magnus looked amused at that. "Well, I was wondering if you would maybe like to walk around Hogsmeade with me on the weekend trip after the first task."

"What… you… well… what… I mean-" Alec started, but he was shortly cut off by Magnus.

"Well, you see, I find that I don't have many Ravenclaw friends, or many friends from any house other than Slytherin for that matter," Magnus said. "And being that this is my last year, I am determined to get to know more of the students so that when we leave, I will be remembered by most everyone. So, what do you say?"

"Well, um, I already planned to go holiday shopping in Hogsmeade with my sister and her friends," Alec replied. He hadn't really made any plans with his sister but that was what they usually did so he assumed they would again this year. And he was trying to get out of walking around Hogsmeade with Magnus on something that could be seen as a date. _But he isn't suggesting a date_, Alec thought to himself. Why would he? No one had ever shown the slightest interest in Alec, and he didn't blame them. So why was Magnus asking this? Alec didn't believe his reason, but since he ruled out the possibility of Magnus liking _him_, it was the reason he wanted to believe. It was all he was left with. Well, except for the small thought in his mind that this could be some sick joke Raphael or someone put him up to. Alec really hoped that wasn't the case.

"Of course, they could come too," Magnus replied, though he looked a little disappointed about it. "But, you don't want to buy their gifts right in front of them. It should be a surprise" he suggested. When Alec didn't reply, Magnus went on, "but, of course, they could come along. I need to make some Gryffindor friends anyways."

"Well, um, I don't know…" Alec started, trying to find an excuse with half of his mind. The other half of his mind was excited about this, telling Alec to say 'yes'.

Magnus seemed to notice Alec's inner conflict. "Great, it's settled then," Magnus decided.

"What… I-" Alec began halfheartedly.

"I'll meet you and your Gryffindor friends in the Great Hall at 9."

"But I…"

"I'll see you then," Magnus said. "Darling," he added with a grin. And with that, he got up and left the library.

Alec was staring at the spot Magnus had been in only moments before. He was lost in what just happened. He wasn't sure he even believed it was real.

Alec had to wake himself out of his moment of shock. He gathered his stuff and started heading out of the library. _Great_, he thought to himself, now I'm going to have to explain this all to Izzy and everyone and hope they are okay with it. Alec didn't know what to do.

But, as Alec made his way to the Ravenclaw Tower, he thought back to how Magnus grinned and he started to think that maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.

* * *

"He what?" asked Jace through a bite of a scone.

"He asked if we would like to walk around Hogsmeade with him," Alec replied, leaving out the part that Magnus had only asked if _he_ wanted to walk with him, and only added the others at Alec's uncertainty. No, he would save that for himself, at least until Izzy managed to get it out of him.

They were all sitting in the Great Hall, at the Ravenclaw table this time (at Alec's request). It was the morning after Magnus talked to Alec and Alec was trying to get everyone on board with Magnus's request.

"Wait, why does he want to hang out with us? He's two years older than us and seems pretty cool, why does he even care?" Clary asked.

"Yeah, he does know I'm in the group, right?" Simon added.

"Let's all be honest, it's probably because of me. Being friends with the Hogwarts school champion is great for social status," Jace said.

"I swear, Jace, the only thing this tournament has done is give you an even bigger head," Izzy shot. "But why did he ask to hang out with us?" Izzy asked, turning to Alec.

"I don't know," Alec started, "something about trying to make friends from other houses."

"See, I told you this was all about me," Jace said grinning.

"Oh, just shut it Jace," said Izzy, shoving a scone in his mouth.

"Thank you," Jace said after he finished the scone." I was going eat that anyway."

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Alec, are sure that's all he said?" Izzy asked.

"Yes," he replied, turning back down to his food.

Izzy gave him a suspicious look and Alec knew she would corner him about it the first chance she got.

Clary didn't look that convinced either, but she didn't go into the matter. "Well, what do we do? Should we just go with it?"

"I guess. I mean, I barely know anything about the guy but he's cool and in his seventh year and wants to hang with _us_. I say we go with it," Simon suggested.

"And he is _extremely_ fashionable," Izzy put in. "We could trade tips for makeup."

"If you are all on board, I'm fine with it," Clary said.

"Well, I don't want to. He's always glaring at me during the Quidditch games against Slytherin, and when he is the announcer, he feels the need to call me Goldilocks," Jace said stubbornly.

"Come on Jace," Izzy said.

"Um, let me think about it… No," he replied.

"Jace, please, for me," Clary said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Well, when you put it that way," Jace said with a small smile. "I guess I'll go. Besides, if he pisses me off enough, there's nothing stopping me from jinxing him," he added with a smirk.

And with everyone on board, the conversation quickly shifted to the Triwizard Tournament. Clary started quizzing Jace on spells he might need to use and Simon and Isabelle traded ideas on what they thought the first task would be.

Alec, however, continued eating in silence. He kept his head down and his back was turned to the Slytherin as to prevent him from looking for Magnus and to keep Magnus from finding him. He still couldn't get over the fact that Magnus had been searching for him for over a month. Or the fact that Magnus had asked to walk with him in Hogsmeade. Or the fact that everyone had agreed. Now he was going to spend a whole day with him. He starting imagining everything that could happen, everything he would say before he quickly shut the thoughts down. _Don't get your hopes up_, he told himself firmly. _He's probably going spend more time talking to Jace and Izzy, and you'll be forgotten as usual_. But he couldn't get rid of the idea that maybe he _wouldn't_ be forgotten.

He was still lost in thought when he and everyone else got up to go to class. He was walking out of the Great Hall when someone grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side, away from the crowd of students.

Izzy.

"I know you were hiding something earlier so you better tell me everything that happened between you and Magnus last night in the library," Izzy demanded.

Alec knew there was no point in hiding it, so he just let it all come out. By the end, Izzy was ecstatic.

"So, wait, let me see if Ii got this right," she began. "He asked you on a date!"

"It wasn't a date," Alec insisted.

"Yea, sure, that's why he called you 'darling' before he left," Izzy said, smirking.

Alec put his face in his hands to stop her from seeing his flushed face. Needless to say it didn't work.

"This is so exciting! You've got your first date! And with a boy! And with a _hot_ boy, for that matter," Izzy said.

"Izzy just stop," Alec began. "Even if it _was_ supposed to be a date, which it _wasn't_, it isn't anymore," Alec finished glumly.

"That's because you caused him to invite us along too," Izzy argued.

"Not helping."

"Okay, sorry. This isn't your fault. This won't be a date. But…" Izzy began with a grin that Alec wasn't sure he liked.

"But what…?" Alec asked nervously.

"Nothing," Izzy said. "Let's just say that this isn't your only chance at a date."

"Izzy, I know that, we have a whole year," Alec replied, shaking his head. "Besides, I don't even think he likes me."

"Alec, we just decided that he _does_ like you," Izzy said with an annoyed tone to her voice. "And, that wasn't what I was talking about."

"Then what were you talking about?" Alec asked, curious.

"Oh, nothing…," she answered. She started to walk away with a smirk. "Only the Yule Ball." And with that she quickly walked away before Alec could respond.


	6. Chapter 6

**_I'm back with the next chapter (finally, I know). I just started high school so there has just been so much going on. However, I'm back, and this is my longest chapter yet, with an added character and more... so I hope the wait was worth it. _**

**_I hope you enjoy :)_**

* * *

_Magnus POV_

As he left the speechless boy in the library, he couldn't help but smile. He managed to find him and get him to go on a date all within about 10 minutes. Well, true, he told Alec that it wasn't a date, simply a way to make friends, which he had only said because he didn't want to scare away the boy. And all of Alec's friends would be coming along, including Goldilocks, which he wasn't too happy about. And Alec did not exactly say yes, but he didn't say no either (not that Magnus gave him the chance too). But still, it was better than nothing, and Magnus was so overjoyed he almost skipped to the Slytherin common room. Almost.

Wait, no, no. He wasn't that excited. It's just a (almost) date with a (beautiful) boy (and his friends). He barely even knew him. He could just end being another casual fling that wouldn't last longer than a week at most. The boy could very well be extremely dull behind that long, dark hair that fell over delicate pale skin and beautiful blue eyes and- _no, stop it Magnus_, he told himself firmly. He needed to get the boy out of his mind because this was just getting _ridiculous_.

Thankfully, he had arrived to the entrance to the Slytherin common room by then and would shortly be distracted by the endless questions his friends would make as to where he had been for the past few hours. Of course, he would make up some excuse. They didn't need to know that he was searching for Alec all over the school like a lost puppy. _God, this is pathetic_, Magnus thought to himself. What was so special about him anyways? If there was something, surely Magnus would have noticed him earlier. _No, he's just a pretty face, that's all it is_. Magnus couldn't wait to get this over with, to finally get the boy out of his mind.

Yet there was still an annoying part of his mind more excited than usual for the Hogsmeade weekend.

* * *

It was a few days after their encounter. In the last few days, Magnus actually listened to what his friends were talking about during lunch rather than searching the Great Hall for Alec (although he did do a quick scan whenever he entered or left the room). He actually spent time with his friends, time that had previously been spent trying to catch Alec in the halls. However, this was all done while he tried to ignore the part of his brain that needed to see the boy.

Magnus did in fact start to make friends with other Ravenclaws. One, by the name of Tessa, Magnus got along pretty well with. If he was being honest, he had originally tried to make friends with Ravenclaws to find out what classes Alec had and when and to stay true to what he told Alec in the library about making friends from other houses. However, after talking to her, the two got to be pretty close. Magnus was glad he made the choice to do this, and not just because he was in fact able to find out what Alec's schedule was (although that was a strong contributing factor).

Which leads us to where Magnus was at that moment: searching for Alec (again). He wanted to learn more about him, to spend some time with him, without the company of Goldilocks and his fan club. Magnus learned from Tessa that he was currently in Herbology (he was taking as many classes as he could to expand his career options for when he left Hogwarts), and he would be free for the rest of the day as some classes were canceled to help in preparations for the Triwizard Tournament (the first task was happening in less than a week). So Magnus was heading towards the greenhouses and he was going to wait outside of whichever greenhouse Alec was in and wait the last few minutes until class ended (Magnus himself had no classes that entire afternoon).

Magnus was leaning casually by the door when the class was dismissed. Alec was the last one to leave, and the nearest students were already halfway back to the castle.

"Hello there, gorgeous," Magnus called over to him when he finally walked out.

Alec froze where he was, refusing to turn around (no doubt he was hiding the surprised and shocked blush that was definitely flushing his face).

"M-Magnus?" he asked, stunned.

"The one and only," Magnus answered, grinning as he slowly approached the boy who still had yet to turn around.

"What are you doing here?" Alec replied, finally turning to look at Magnus with those endearing blue eyes. His face was flushed in the way Magnus found so adorable.

"I was only taking a stroll when by chance I decided to chill for a while by the very same greenhouse you just happened to be in," Magnus began. "So, Alexander, would you mind joining me in my stroll around the grounds?" Magnus asked casually, dropping him a wink for good measure.

"Well, I-um… I have to get to-," Alec began, but he was quickly cut off by Magnus, who had expected excuses.

"Come on Alec, you and I both know most of the classes were canceled for this afternoon."

"Well, um…"

"It's just a stroll. I promise I won't bite," Magnus said, "…unless you want me too," he added under his breath, hoping Alec didn't hear (yet a small part of his brain wished he did; It would have made things that much more interesting for him).

He didn't appear to have heard it, however. "I guess…" Alec said, and his considering tone was answer enough.

"Great," Magnus said with a grin. "Let's go, blue eyes," he added, dragging Alec by the wrist until he started to walk along with him.

They spent the rest of the afternoon walking side-by-side, talking about pretty much everything: school, the Triwizard Tournament, sharing stories, plans after Hogwarts. It wasn't too long before Alec became more comfortable with the situation. Conversation started to flow easily between the two. Before long, the two were talking and laughing naturally (along with Magnus's endless flirting, which Alec seemed to become more comfortable with as time went by, though he still blushed adorably every time).

Magnus soon found that there was more to Alec to love than just a pretty face. He learned the Ravenclaw was kind, caring, smart (of course), and even funny, though seemingly without trying or realizing it, so whenever he got a laugh out of Magnus, he seemed surprised. Magnus was surprised at how much he came to like Alec. He had a beautiful and interesting past and personality to match his good looks. Magnus loved listening to him talk about his life, both in and out of Hogwarts. He learned about Alec's family and he had an increasing respect for Isabelle when he learned of all the times she tried to get Alec to go to a party or wear better clothes.

Although he was questioning why a girl like her, who could have almost any guy she ever laid eyes upon, went for a guy such as Simon. Alec clearly wasn't sure either so he doubted he'd find out from him. Maybe he could ask Isabelle if they ever get around to trading fashion tips. He even gained a grudging respect for Jace when Alec talked about their times together (not to mention, he really wished he could have been there in Jace's place during one of their Black Lake swims).

Alec would in turn listen intently to whatever Magnus shared. True, he didn't share much, but that was because he wasn't really good at opening up to people, and he was too intent on listening to Alec speak, so he kept his part short. However, he did share more than he thought he would. But no matter what he had to say, Alec listened. He was a good listener too. He knew when and how to react to everything. And his laugh was one of the most beautiful sounds Magnus had ever heard. He even started to flirt back a little, to Magnus's surprise. Sometimes, his voice would become slightly husky when he became especially flirtatious, and whenever it did, Magnus found it so irresistibly _hot_, perfectly matching the rest of him. He really should flirt more. If he did, and if he stopped hiding in the shadow so much and let the world see him, no doubt everyone would be all over him. Wait. Maybe it was better that he didn't do it often (except, so far, with Magnus). Magnus didn't want anyone else taking him away when he was almost in his reach.

Magnus had never felt anything remotely close to this, not even with Camille. He had never enjoyed a conversation or a walk as much as this one. Whenever Alec stopped talking, Magnus found himself craving more of that beautiful voice. He even caught himself watching Alec as he talked, shifting his gaze from his eyes, which were looking forward, to his moving lips. Whenever he did, he would have to shake himself out of it before Alec noticed. Speaking of which, Magnus would sometimes catch Alec watching him when he was tell a story. Magnus would turn to look at him, at which Alec would turn red at being caught, and quickly turn his head down. Magnus smiled whenever he did this, he was just so cute, although he didn't like it when his blue eyes were turned away, hidden from his gaze.

They went on like this for a few hours as the sun went down. They were walking by the Black Lake when they agreed they should probably head back or else they would miss dinner. They walked back into the castle, at which point the two parted ways. Magnus watch Alec longingly as he walked away.

Today had been a success. However, there was one thing for certain. After their afternoon together, it was doubtful he would be able to ever get him out of his mind. All he managed to do was increase his affections for him, even if they didn't do anything past flirting and brushing hands. There was no hope in getting past this, and Magnus knew it, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

Magnus shook his head and started to make his way towards the Great Hall. As he thought back to the events of the day, he could help but smile. He would have to try to catch Alec over the weekend. Even if nothing else happened, he just wanted to be near Alec again, to spend more time with him, so walking side-by-side, listening to his angelic voice and laughter and seeing his wondrous blue eyes was enough for him. Maybe he would catch of glimpse of them during dinner today.

And with that thought in mind, he quickened his pace.

* * *

Magnus did indeed see Alec in the Great Hall. That was because he decided to sit at the Ravenclaw table today, without Jace, Clary, Izzy, and Simon. The Gryffindor table was crowded with people, especially around Jace. Obviously Alec wanted to avoid all of the chaos. So, instead, he was sitting across from Tessa, who was lost in a book as she put food in her mouth in absentmindedly. She probably had no idea what she was even eating she was so involved in the story.

When Magnus walked in and saw Alec and Tessa sitting with barely anyone around them, he made a beeline towards the Ravenclaw table. When he got there, he slipped in next to Tessa, across from Alec as to have a better and constant view of him. He would have rather sat next to him, but there was so much space at the table Alec could easily scoot over if Magnus was too close, making the choice to sit next to him pointless. He would have to wait for an opportunity when the table was more crowded.

"Hello to my two favorite Ravenclaws," he said after he gracefully slid into his seat.

Alec was looking down at his food when he arrived, so he didn't notice him there until he spoke up, at which point he nearly choked on his food in surprise. Tessa was jerked out of the world of her novel in shock.

"Magnus! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

"Having dinner with my little geniuses," he responded with a smile.

"What do you mean 'little'? We're the same age as you, and Alec is almost as tall as you," Tessa replied, though she still smiled.

"Alexander is still shorter than me, no matter by how much," Magnus said turning to said boy.

"It's Alec. I prefer Alec," Alec said, looking up to Magnus.

"Well I prefer Alexander, Alexander," Magnus replied, grinning, loving the sound of his name and how easily it rolled off his tongue. He gave him a wink when he said the name a second time, satisfied when the boy's face flushed despite the endless flirting he had to endure all day.

Tessa looked between the two boys, comprehension dawning on her face, but she didn't bring it up when she asked, "So, Magnus, why did you suddenly decide to sit with us at the Ravenclaw dinner?"

"Wait, you know Tessa," Alec asked Magnus suddenly.

"Yep. I starting hanging with her a few days ago," Magnus replied, not taking his eyes off of Alec.

"Sticking with the whole 'make friends from other houses' thing?" Alec asked.

"The what thing?" Tessa questioned.

"Oh, he just came up to me and randomly started talking about how this was his last year and he doesn't have friends outside of Slytherin, and how he wanted to be remembered by all," Alec informed her.

"It's really nothing," Magnus said absentmindedly, his eyes still fixed on Alec.

"So, wait, is this the reason you suddenly started hanging with me?" Tessa asked, jokingly.

"No," Magnus replied, at the same time as Alec said, "Yep."

"It's really not!" Magnus cried, pulling his eyes away from Alec to look at Tessa.

"It's why you started to hang out with me," Alec said.

"No its not- that's not why- look I-," Magnus began defensively. However he didn't know what to

say because he didn't what Alec to know it had been some lame excuse to get to talk to him.

However, when he looked back at Alec, he saw him smiling and heard him chuckle.

"Oh, I see, pick on the idiot," Magnus said, though he could feel himself start to smile.

"You're not an idiot Magnus," Tessa replied. "Though you can be easier to mess with when you aren't paying enough attention."

"Who said I wasn't paying enough attention?"

Tessa gave him a look that said "you know what I mean" before responding with, "Oh no one…"

The rest of dinner went by basically the same, with Tessa, Magnus and Alec all talking and laughing and with Magnus sometimes spending too much time staring at Alec, at which point Alec or Tessa would bring something up to mess with him. It was better than Manus expected. He had never had dinner at Hogwarts with anyone but Camille, Raphael, and other fellow Slytherins. It was a nice change. The group was never without something to talk about as they all barely knew anything about one another. So they would share stories, ask questions and learn more about one another. Turns out Magnus really was sticking to what he told Alec about making friends. And he was glad he was, especially whenever Alec looked back into Magnus's eyes or laughed or gave a smile. Tessa kept glancing between the two throughout the conversation, but still didn't mention anything. The three went on enjoying their conversation as Magnus made a mental note to sit at the Ravenclaw table more often.

When dinner was over, the three all got up out of their seats. Magnus made his way to the dungeons while Alec and Tessa walked up to the Ravenclaw Tower. Magnus wanted to join them, but knew that he couldn't. As he walked down the stairs, he encountered two searching faces.

"Magnus!" Camille cried, with Raphael close behind her. 'Where were you during dinner? Some first years swears they saw you at the Ravenclaw table but he must've been lying and-," Camille stopped when she saw the look on his face. "You weren't at the Ravenclaw table, were you?

"I mean…," Magnus began, unsure of what to say. He completely forgot about them during dinner had hadn't prepared any excuses.

"Dude, you weren't with that Lightwood kid, right?" Raphael asked.

"It wasn't _only_ him…"

"Magnus!" Camille exclaimed. "What had gotten into you? I have never seen you this way over anyone. Not even me!" There was a hint of jealousy and offense at the end of that, mixed with the shock she tried to convey instead.

"Oh, don't sound so jealous Camille." Magnus replied. He didn't want to get into this at the moment. He had just had a great day with Alec and just wanted to go to sleep and play back every moment.

"_Jealous_? Me? Of him? I'm sorry, but are _you_ dating the Beauxbaton school champion?" Camille shot back. "Yeah, didn't think so. In fact, I think you are jealous of _me_, so you find some boy who is way below your level and you put on this act to try and get my attention and piss me off.

"You think I actually _care_ who the hell you date?" Magnus asked, shocked at her sudden change in attitude. It was like something snapped inside of her. "I'm sorry Camille, but I, unlike you, don't obsess over the relationship statuses of my exes." Magnus was getting mad now. "And you were the one who tried to hook me up with someone for the past months! Well, there you go, you now no longer have to do the damned job."

Raphael had begun to walk away at this point, doing his best to avoid any drama. He headed off to a group of fourth years ahead of him and they all quickly moved away from Magnus and Camille. _Some friend you are, _thought Magnus

Camille looked pissed at Magnus's response. But instead of answering, she stormed off down the corridor in the opposite direction. But before she reached the end, she yelled so everyone in the corridors could hear, "At least I'm not chasing after some shy, boring, _ugly_, closeted _virgin_!"

Magnus had a look of pure anger as each word dripped off her mouth. She had a satisfied smirk plastered on an otherwise angry face, and she turned around and walked off. The corridors were suddenly filled with whispers about what just happened, all trying to figure out whom it was that Magnus liked (not that they would find out; she had said the guy was ugly, and Alexander definitely did _not_ fall into that category, at least not to Magnus)and why this all even happened. Magnus and Camille used to be so close, even after break ups. They had never so much as yelled at each other. No doubt this scene would probably be known throughout the whole school by tomorrow morning. Magnus furiously stormed off to the Slytherin common room to head to

bed and clear his head.

As he walked off, he wondered to himself when Camille had become such a bitch.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys. Sorry this chapter took a while to be released. I have had more work than I expected for school... and I may or may not have been reading waaaay to much fanfiction. But, here is the next chapter and it is another long one. YAY!**

**I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

_Alec POV_

"So, Alec, care to tell us where you were yesterday?" Izzy asked as casually as if she were asking what the weather was like.

Alec was sitting at the Gryffindor table again. He had been dragged there, with a twinge of disappointment, as he had hoped that if he sat at the Ravenclaw table, Magnus would be there as well, when Jace and Izzy saw him by the entrance of the Great Hall, with Simon and Clary following a few steps behind. Izzy and Jace had tried to pester on the subject then, but were interrupted by Jace's fan club. Izzy, however, wasn't about to let it go.

"I was just…walking around," replied Alec, shoving food into him mouth.

"Uh huh," Izzy mumbled suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

"What? It's true…,"Alec replied. It was the truth. Somewhat. It just wasn't the _whole_ truth

"Okay," said Izzy, still not convinced. "Then why didn't you sit here last night?"

"I just sat at the Ravenclaw table with… friends."

"Friends?"

"Yeah, friends. That's what you call people you hang out with."

"Alec, you have gone to school here for years and I have _never_ heard you once mention your other _friends_."

"Oh, he was talking with some people," Jace put in through a mouth full of scrambled eggs.

Izzy turned to Jace in shock. "What?"

"Yeah, he was sitting with some girl with curly brown hair… what's her name? Oh! Tessa, that's right."

"And you somehow forgot to-" Izzy began.

"OH, and then Bane sat down at their table too," Jace added, interrupting Izzy.

"WHAT?" Izzy's jaw dropped.

"Weird, right?" Jace said to Izzy, then he turned to Alec and asked, "Wait, Alec, why _did_ you sit with Bane and Tessa, especially when you could've dinned with my magnificent self?"

"You and your just as _magnificent_ fan club. Why would I _ever_ choose to sit somewhere else?"

Jace put his hand over his heart in fake offense. He pulled it away a moment later, grinned, and said, "At least you agree that I'm magnificent."

Alec rolled his eyes as Izzy replied, "Well, with how you've been preparing, let's just hope your _magnificent_ self doesn't get killed in the first task."

"See Clary, I told you I was magnificent," Jace said, turning to Clary, ignoring the rest of Izzy's sentence.

"You're impossible," Izzy mumbled.

"_Magnificently_ impossible?"

"I swear Jace, you're lucky we need you for the Triwizard Tournament or else I would strangle you."

"I would too," Simon added, raiding his hand a little awkwardly.

"Same," said Clary.

"Hey! Clary!" Jace said, shocked.

"What? You _are_ being very annoying right now. I'm starting to question my relationship choices," Clary said playfully.

"Oh? Really?" Jace started, smirking. "Are you questioning this?" And with that, he pulled her into a kiss.

Alec looked away, letting his gaze drift across the hall as the conversation continued without him.

However, just when Alec thought he had luckily avoided any further questioning, he turned his focus back to his group of friends and Izzy gave him a look that said "I'm not done with you."

And so, after breakfast, during which Alec constantly stole glances at Magnus (which did not go unnoticed by Izzy), who was sitting next across from Tessa at the Ravenclaw table, Isabelle pulled him aside.

"Alec, what were you really doing yesterday afternoon?" she demanded.

"I told you, I went for a walk," Alec answered, only receiving a disbelieving look from his sister. "…with Magnus."

"I KNEW IT! You two are dating, aren't you? Did you kiss?" Izzy asked, causing Alec to turn a deep crimson. "You DID!"

"No! Izzy! We didn't kiss!" said Alec. "We're not even dating. We just talked."

However, as he said that, his mind drifted back to their walk. He smiled to himself as he remembered all the times he caught Magnus watching him, all the times the two bumped into each other as they walked, sending shocks through Alec's body, all the times their eyes would meet, that moment when, and as they were about to part ways, he could have sworn Magnus leaned in just a fraction, before Alec had regretfully walked away, yet still he felt eyes watching him as he walked away. _No, there was no way. He just likes you as a friend. It's no good to get your hopes up. How many times to we have to discuss this? _That did nothing to change the goofy smile he had on his face, however.

"Alec!" Izzy said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Hm?" Alec replied, snapping out of his daze.

"God, you _need_ to ask him out Alec! He clearly fancies you. And don't get me started on your obvious feelings. "

"What! I couldn't-"

"And I'm picking out your outfit for your date."

"It's not a date! It's going to be with all of-"

"Oh, no, I will make it a date, don't you worry. I'll find a way to get the rest of us to leave the group, older brother."

"You really don't have to-"

"And I'm picking out your outfit, once again."

"I was just going to wear some old jeans-"

"Oh no, no, no. I'm picking your outfit and that's that."

"But-"

"And feel free to sit at the Ravenclaw table with him for the next few days. I'll make up some excuse."

"Izzy-"

"Oh, I should probably get to class." And with that, she started to walk away.

"Wait-" Alec called.

She turned around so she was walking backwards. "Oh, and Alec, I expect full details when you actually do hook up."

* * *

"I would like to welcome you all to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament!" boomed a voice through the stands.

Alec, Izzy, Simon, and Clary were all sitting in the first row of the elevated stands. In front of them was what used to be the Quidditch Field, but was currently turned into a rocky, slightly forested, area. It was a cloudy day, and there was fog hugging the ground. There was also a strange chill in the air, but Alec paid no mind to it. It was probably just a sign of the coming winter.

"So, you are probably all wondering, what is the first task? Well, let me tell you. In this task we will have one competitor at a time search around the rocky area we have here in attempt to find a box much like this one," the announcer held up a golden box with strange writings on the sides. "The competitors will be timed on how quickly they achieve the task. However, there is a twist. We will also have a dementor in the area, and it is the champions' jobs to go as unnoticed as possible." The crowd all gasped at the mention of the creature. "Now, now, don't worry; we have put a protective barrier around the stands and around the perimeter to prevent the dementor from attacking any of you or from escaping. Now, the competitors can use whatever magic they want except the Patronus Charm, unless they are in dire need. However, as the task is to go by as unnoticed as possible, the need of the use of the Patronus Charm will remove points from their final score. Also, the dementor was instructed not to perform the dementor's kiss, but if anything gets out of hand, we have professionals on the side ready to get the dementor under control once again. So, the contestants will be judged on time, tactics, skill, and how successful they are at accomplishing the task at hand. We will go in the order of which the champions were selected, so, would you please give it up for the Beauxbaton school champion, Jean André Courtade!"

Said competitor walked onto the field from under the stands. He had a grin on his face and he was waving to the audience. He threw a wink over to Camille's direction before turning to the task at hand. The announcer counted down from three, and then the task had begun.

Jean André immediately crouched behind the nearest rock, clearly think over his next move. He only had a few moments before the dementor was released. His faced looked screwed up in concentration. Alec assumed he was probably trying to apparate, as he wasn't sure if the other schools knew or remembered that you can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds.

Jean must have realized this, as he gave up trying to apparate and started running around the field, trying cover as much ground and learn his surroundings before the dementor was released. It came gliding silently, casting a chill over the nearby trees and rocks. The fog thickened and you could see Jean's breath. A brief flash of fear sparked in his eyes, but was gone quickly. He took a deep breath, turned his wand to himself, and casted a spell.

The crowd "oohed" and "awed" as Jean disappeared. He must've used the Bedazzling Charm, which can turn a person or object invisible. Alec, however impressed he was, knew it was useless. Dementors are blind anyways and can sense human emotions, so being invisible won't prevent them from finding you. And sure enough, the dementor started to glide towards a spot near where Jean had been moments before.

The dementor changed directions a few times before, finally, Jean was revealed. The dementor's presence was sapping his strength; he could no longer keep the spell going. Jean, however week he was, was trudging along determinedly, his eyes focused on the rock in front of him. Just when it seemed that Jean could go on no more, he collapsed. The crowd gasped as the dementor neared him. He was done for it, he failed the first task. _He should have just casted the patronus charm_, Alec thought. _Even if it would take away points, at least he would have completed the task_. Alec wondered if he even knew how to cast a patronus charm.

_Wait._

_What was that?_

Jean's arm moved from under him, clutching something gold. He lifted it, and stood up, and the crowd burst into applause. Wizards and witches came in to take away the dementor. As soon as the dementor left, Jean collapsed on the ground again and was swarmed by Healers, all with chocolate in their hands. And although he was in such a weak state, the applause took a while to die out.

The announcer tried to get them settled to give the scores. The audience turned to the judges. One by one they all held up their scores: 6, 7, 8, 6, 8. A total of 35. Alec hoped Jace would do better than that as the applause erupted again. True, it wasn't that good of a score, but it wasn't that bad either. And the boy had accomplished the task even though he was about to pass out. Alec had no clue what Jace would decide to do.

Next was the Durmstrang champion, Viria Karsten. She walked onto the field, her red hair blowing in the wind behind her, her blue eyes shining. The announcer counted down again, and then she was off, searching the fields just as Jean did before her. She covered a lot more ground however, as she didn't waste time in the beginning with apparition, and she was _very_ fast. She dashed in and out of trees and rocks before the dementor was released.

When it was, she crouched behind a rock and… disappeared. But not like how Jean did. She vanished, and no one knew where she was. The dementor floated around aimlessly, and if a dementor could be confused, this one definitely would be. The crowd started whispering, wondering where the girl went. What did she do? This was magic unheard of.

And, almost as soon as they realized she was gone, she was standing up from behind a tree in the right corner of the field, holding a golden box, with a triumphant smile on her face. It was a smile much like Magnus's, Alec thought. He remembered Magnus's face, smiling at him as he shared a story, how his eyes brightened and how he laughed and-

_No, stop. Really, you're thing about him now, of all times?_ A small part of his brain told him. He mentally kicked himself as he heard a voice say, "Alexander."

_Great, now you're imagining his voice. How pathetic can you be?_

"Psst, Alec!" The voice said more urgently.

_I must be going crazy_, Alec decided.

He suddenly felt something on his hand (along with a familiar shock) and he looked down in surprise to see a hand on top of his. He quickly drew it away, and looked under the stands, where that hand was coming from. And to his surprise, he was standing there.

_Magnus_.

"Magnus?!"

"The one and only," he replied, smirking. "And now that I have your attention, would you come down here?"

"It's almost Jace's turn! I can't miss that."

"I promise I won't be too long. Now would you please come down here?"

He seemed to be begging now, and hearing that in his voice, Alec knew he couldn't say no. He mumbled some quick excuse to Izzy, he was barely listening anyway as she was in deep conversation with Simon and Clary as to what Viria did. Alec snuck away and went down the stairs and behind the stands until he found Magnus.

"Ah, Alexander, there you are," Magnus said with a grin.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Alec?" Alec asked, even though he secretly loved the way Magnus said his full name. "You did it once, a few moments ago, when you were trying to get my attention. Why is it so hard now?"

"It's just so much more fun to say Alexander. It rolls off the tongue. Not to mention its beautiful, much like the person it belongs to," he added with a wink, and a step in Alec's direction.

Alec blushed. "So, anyway, did you call me down here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he answered without a second thought. "We haven't spoken or even seen each other since our walk on the grounds." He stepped closer to Alec.

"Why would you want to talk to or me?" Alec asked, trying not to focus on how close they were.

"Oh, Alexander," he said with a smile. He closed the distance between the two of them. Alec tried to stay calm, or at least look calm. He was practically bursting with excitement and fear on the inside. His heart was beating a million miles a minute when Magnus continued, "I thought I made the answer perfectly clear."

Alec caught his breath when Magnus began to lean forward, slowly closing any remaining distance between the two. _Is this really happening? Do I want this to happen? _Alec knew the answers to both of those questions. But he was still worried. Scared that he was going to mess this up. He decided to push those worries away and just go with it. But just before Magnus pressed his lips to his, there was a thunder of applause and a loud stomping of feet above his head, and Alec was shocked into stumbling backward. Magnus looked surprised and disappointed.

"I-I should probably go see what's happening," Alec stuttered out without looking at Magnus. He walked away a little faster than he intended.

He was mentally kicking himself as he made his way up the stands. Leave it to him to mess up everything. _He was about to kiss you, idiot. Why did you walk away like that?_ Alec barely registered what was going on around him until he reached Izzy. She was jumping around with excitement, as was Clary, and Simon had a smile on his face as Izzy turned to hug him. Alec turned to look towards the judges. The scores for the past contestants were written below the judges. Viria had manages to get 43 points. He lifted his head a fraction to see Jace's score. And there, above each and every head of the judges, was a 9. Somehow, Jace had managed to get the highest score in the first task.

And, for that moment, all Alec could think and feel was happiness and excitement and pride for his best friend, and his worries about the moment with Magnus were briefly forgotten.

* * *

**Nope, you don't get the first kiss now. Hahahaha, I'm such a tease.**

**I promise it will be coming soon, just you wait.**

**Now, what did you think of the chapter? What do you think Viria did to accomplish the task?**

**Anyways, the next chapter should be up by the end of next weekend and if its late feel free to, I don't know, spam me with demands for the next chapter.**

**If it's early, consider it my little gift to you to help you get through the week of school/work. **

**Thanks for reading :)**


	8. Chapter 8

_Magnus POV_

Alec stumbled away from Magnus, a frustrating yet still annoyingly adorable sight, and soon he was out of sight.

_Damn it_, Magnus thought to himself. He had been _so_ close to kissing Alec, something he had wanted to do for a while, but somehow Alec had managed to slip through his grasp once again.

Magnus didn't even plan any of this. But then, the Durmstrang champion walked onto the field, and her blue eyes reminded Magnus of Alec's eyes and how he didn't see Alec since he sat at the Ravenclaw table for the first time, and he felt a sudden need to see him again (not that the need wasn't already there). He had originally just intended to talk with him, throwing in a few suggestive flirts and winks as he always did, but Alec had just looked so beautiful, even though he was wearing what he wore every day, what every student wore every day. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't see him in a while or his feelings for Alec _had_ been growing, but Magnus was suddenly overcome with the need to just grab Alec by the front of his shirt and pull him into a kiss and never let him go. However, he was worried it would scare him away so he didn't do just that. But the need to be with Alec was too strong, so, before he knew it, he was stepping closer to him and leaning in-

And then Alec was gone. He had started to mumble some excuse and his cheeks were flushed in that endearing way and Magnus just wanted to reach out and grab him by the arm, much like in those cheesy romantic films that the older kids would sometimes watch in which the girl was about to walk away but the guy would pull her into his arms and kiss her right then. He wanted to stop Alec from leaving, steal at least one kiss after weeks of waiting. But he was still worried it would push Alec away and he didn't want that. And so he watched in sadness and shock as the boy, that he was _so_ sure liked him, walked away.

Why was this one so challenging? Why was everything so complicated with him? _What_ had made him feel this way over this boy? What made him so different yet so much _better_? Magnus didn't know if he would ever figure out the answers.

He sighed and turned to make his way to the Black Lake. The first task was clearly over; there was no point of sticking around anymore. He would just take a short walk around the grounds, much like his walk with Alec, and attempt to forget those wonderful blue eyes, and how they were so full of hope, when he had started to lean in to place his own lips on Alec's for a kiss that would never be.

* * *

Magnus was walking to the Great Hall in a pair of bright green skinny jeans, a light blue top and a black leather jacket. He had his hair spiked up with the ends dyed blue and he had black eyeliner on, and, of course, there was plenty of glitter. He had planned his outfit specifically for today.

It was almost 9 o'clock on the day of the Hogsmeade trip. Magnus was walking quickly to the Great Hall. This was the day. He would finally get a whole day with Alec. No interruptions, no excuses, and no missed opportunities. True, Goldilocks and the three Gryffindors would be there as well, preventing anything from actually happening, but Magnus was determined to find a way to get rid of them.

As Magnus walked the corridors, he took the time to appreciate how different everyone looked. Most everyone in their third year and up were wearing muggle outfits, a huge change from the typical robes. Muggle fashions had become very popular in the Wizard World in the last few years. So, as today was a day where the students would be leaving the castle and heading to the village, they took advantage of this opportunity and went all out to express themselves amongst their fellow students, the ones they do not see during the breaks. There were students in items from designer outfits to clothing from thrift shops, muggle-borns in fandom t-shirts or sports jerseys, and even some students designed their own clothes, adding magical features such as the ability to change size or color. The corridors were an explosion of colors and fashions, and Magnus loved it.

He walked into the Great Hall and spotted Alec by the Gryffindor table, and he took a minute to appreciate what he was wearing. Alec was in a pair of black skinny jeans and a light blue shirt, both of which fit him very nicely, showing off his toned body, which surprised Magnus because he didn't play Quidditch and there weren't exactly many sporting opportunities at Hogwarts. He was holding a vogue leather jacket, and looking very uncomfortable and tugging at his sleeves. In truth, the outfit wasn't what Magnus would have expected Alec to wear. Magnus saw Alec glare at Isabelle a few times and it clicked- _Ah, she must have made him wear that_. Magnus made a mental note to thank her for that in the future as he moved towards them.

Isabelle was wearing a pair of black floral lace sheer leggings, a red lace peplum top, black high heeled boots, and a leather biker jacket. Simon was standing next to her in loose, worn, blue jeans and a shirt with Darth Vader on it (which Magnus knew because they played those movies at the orphanage from time to time and he found he actually quite enjoyed them). Magnus noticed Clary and Jace weren't there yet and it was just Alec standing of to the side of Isabelle and Simon, who were in deep conversation about who knows what.

Magnus walked up to the group, stopping right behind Alec. "Hello everyone."

Alec stiffened in front of him and Isabelle and Simon were shaken out of their conversation. Everyone turned to look at the new arriver. Simon and Alec's eyes widened at Magnus's outfit, while Isabelle looked him up and down and gave a nod of approval.

Isabelle was first to speak. "Oh, hi! You must be-"

"Magnus," Magnus replied, cutting her off. "And I assume you, with the great fashion sense, are Isabelle."

"Call me Izzy," she replied, smiling. "You're not looking to bad yourself."

"I'm flattered. Oh and you," he said looking to Simon. "I know you two are dating, don't look so jealous." Simone just stood speechless, as Magnus continues, "Which means, you are Simon. The nerd shirt gave it away. And, of course, I know you, Alexander," he said, throwing said boy a wink that somehow went unnoticed by Simon.

"Soooo, now that we are all here, let's go?" asked Izzy.

"Wait, what about Jace and Cla-" Alec began.

"They aren't joining us. The wanted to have some 'alone time' so they will do their Christmas shopping together," Izzy explained. "So, let's go."

Magnus thanked his luck that he wouldn't have to put up with Goldilocks, and the group started to make their way towards the village. They fell into an easy conversation quicker than Magnus predicted. They talked about the Triwizard Tournament (of course), the most recent Quidditch World Cup (which happened on the summer of last year), and school work. Magnus even joined in when Simon started to explain the story of Star Wars.

When they arrived at Hogsmeade, Izzy suddenly exclaimed, "Simon, let's go look inside Gladrags Wizardwear." She grabbed Simon by his wrist and started to drag him along.

"Okay," Alec said, following his sister.

"Whoa, whoa, hold up there," Izzy replied, turning around and stopping Alec. "You can't know what I'm getting you for Christmas. It has to be a surprise. Why don't you go look around for _my_ gift with Magnus?"

Magnus was starting to like Alec's sister more and more by the second.

"But-" Alec protested.

"That sounds like a good idea," Magnus interrupted with a satisfied smirk.

Izzy smiled. "Great. Come on, Simon."

"Wait, I still have to get you your gift," Simon began.

"Then you can look for that while I pick out Alec's gift." The two started walking away, hand in hand.

"I was hoping your brother would help me choose out your present…"

"I'm sure I'll like whatever you get me," Izzy replied, placing a quick kiss on his cheek.

Before long, they were gone, leaving Magnus and Alec alone. Alec tugged at his clothes adorably, clearly feeling uncomfortable.

"So, let's look around," suggested Magnus.

"Sure," Alec responded.

The two started to walk around until they fell into an easy conversation. They talked about just almost everything as they walked in and out of shops, and soon they were talking and laughing like old friends. Magnus flirted less than he usually would have since they were out in public and he knew Alec wasn't out and wouldn't be comfortable with it. But whenever there was barely anyone around, he took his chances. Their fingers would brush when they walked side by side, Magnus would grab Alec by his wrist to drag him into yet another store, he placed his hand on Alec's briefly when he was about to take something from his grasp, Magnus asked him if he wanted any candy from Honeydukes and not didn't let him have any unless Magnus placed it in his mouth, he insisted on paying for Alec's butterbeer, and he would spend as much time as he could looking at and admiring him. Alec's face turned Gryffindor scarlet more times than Magnus could count, and he loved it. Alec did manage to find a gift for his sister, despite all the distracting Magnus attempted to do. The two stopped at most every store, including Tomes and Scrolls, the village book store, and decided to pick out a surprise gift for Tessa, because even though Magnus and Alec didn't spend much time together over the last couple of weeks, the two each spent time individually with Tessa, and she had become a pretty good friend of theirs.

"I really hope she didn't read this one already," said Alec as they walked out of Tomes and Scrolls.

"That's a hard thing to hope for," Magnus replied. "She has probably read most every book that has ever been published. But maybe she doesn't have a copy of this, so I think we're good."

"That's good," Alec said. "Do you want to head back now?"

"Why not?" replied Magnus.

And so they made their way back to the castle, but they somehow ended up roaming the grounds. The temperature started to drop and Alec was rubbing his hands together to stay warm. His cheeks had a small taint of pink because of the cold, creating the same adorable look he got when he was embarrassed. Magnus really wanted to wrap his arms around him, to warm each other with shared body heat, but he didn't know how Alec would take it.

"Are you cold?" Magnus asked.

"A little," Alec replied.

"Here, let me help." Magnus took Alec's hands between his. They were really cold, as expected, but also soft yet slightly calloused in some spots, but the skin was mostly smooth.

Alec made a small gasp when Magnus grabbed his hands, but didn't pull away. Magnus started to move his hands back and forth a little, creating the much needed friction. Alec's hands didn't take long to warm up.

"Thanks," Alec said bashfully.

"No problem," Magnus replied tenderly.

Neither of the two pulled away.

Snow started to fall from the sky, fluttering in tiny little flakes. Some got caught in Alec's hair, contrasting brilliantly with his ebony hair, and his wide eyes shown more brightly than ever. He looked so breathtakingly beautiful.

_You know what, screw it. I'm just gonna do it_, Magnus decided.

"You know Alec, there's something I've been meaning to do."

"W-What's that?" He asked shyly.

Magnus gave him a small smile. "This."

And he leaned in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Since I left the last chapter at a cliffhanger, I decided to write the next chapter ASAP. I stayed up really late and I have school tomorrow, so I really hope you enjoy.**

* * *

_Alec POV_

"This." Magnus said, his hands still on Alec's, giving Alec a pleasant tingling feeling throughout his whole body. Before Alec could register what was happening, he felt Magnus's warm lips on his. Alec uttered a small gasp.

Alec froze in shock for a moment. Magnus was kissing him. Magnus Bane was kissing _him_. _The_ Magnus Bane was _kissing_ him. But he didn't have much time to consider that because his mind turned to jelly within seconds as he gave himself up to the overwhelming world of emotions, closed his eyes, and he leaned to the kiss. He shook himself out of his dazed state and started kissing Magnus back. Magnus expertly parted Alec's lips and Alec breathed him in. He smelled of sandalwood and butterbeer, and there was a faint taste of peppermint and chocolate. The world around them slipped away, and all that mattered, all that existed, was them. Alec lifted his arms and wrapped them around Magnus's neck, and Magnus placed his hands on Alec's hips and pulled his body closer to his till they were flush up against each other. They fit perfectly, like puzzle pieces. Alec felt energy flow through his body as the kiss deepened. There was built up impatience for this moment from the both of them. Alec ran his fingers through Magnus's spiked hair, combing out the gel holding it up, and he hear a soft moan from the back of Magnus's throat. The two were lost in each other as the snow fluttered around them, and Alec didn't remember ever feeling cold. How could he, especially when he was surrounded by everything Magnus, the boy he once thought would never spare him a second glace. He felt like he was floating.

The two separated when the snow started falling in clumps. Magnus was smiling down at Alec as he said, "As much as I hate to end this, I don't want you to get frost bite out here. Let's head back?"

Alec nodded, sad that the moment was over, but ecstatic that it even happened. Magnus grabbed his hand, intertwining Alec's fingers with his, sending sparks through his body, and gave him another smile. The two headed back to the castle, Alec laying his head on Magnus's shoulder.

When they got back to the castle, it was already dark outside. Before the two parted ways, Magnus turned Alec to face him.

"Alexander?" Magnus asked nervously, quite unlike his usual confident self.

"Y-Yes?" Alec asked, nervous of what Magnus would say. _Had he done something wrong? Was he _that_ bad of a kisser?_ He knew he lacked in experience compared to Magnus, but that didn't seem to matter at the time. He braced himself for the worst.

He shouldn't have been worried.

"Will you be my date to the Yule Ball?" Magnus asked hopefully.

Alec was at loss for words. How was this happening? First the kiss, now this? He couldn't believe any of it was true.

"Well?" Magnus asked when Alec didn't respond.

Alec didn't know how to respond. The majority of his brained screamed "SAY YES!" while a small part of his brain reminded him that he wasn't out yet. He was still worried of what people would think, even though most everyone at Hogwarts was fine with it, and he was worried about what Jace would think, and how his parents would think were they to find out.

If Alec was being honest, he wasn't why he was so worried. Why should it matter? This was everything he had been waiting for, hoping for, for years, and more.

Gathering up his confidence, he leaned up to Magnus and pressed his lips to his. It was a softer kiss than the first one, filled with tenderness.

Alec pulled away and whispered, "Is that a good enough answer?"

Magnus grinned and placed a quick kiss on Alec's lips. "I'm looking forward to it, Alexander," he whispered, his lips brushing Alec's. Alec closed his eyes as a shiver went down his spine.

And then Magnus was gone. Alec's eyes snapped open as he felt Magnus's absence sink in. He watched as his lean figure walked away, looking perfect as ever.

Alec's head was buzzing with everything that happened. He felt himself smile as looked back on the events of the day. He couldn't believe his luck. But was it luck? There was no way something this good could happen to anyone out of luck, even if they were on Felix Felicis. _But how could Magnus like me? What do I have to offer?_

He decided not to question the sudden positive turn of events in his life. He headed to the Great Hall, smiling to himself.

Things were definitely looking up for him.

* * *

"Well, someone's looking happier," Jace said when Alec sat down next to him at the Gryffindor table. "What's got you got so happy-dappy?"

Izzy smirked at Alec from across the table

"Nothing much," Alec said sitting down, grabbling a roll. He still wasn't able to wipe the smile off his face.

"Oh, really?" Jace said disbelievingly. "Because, I could have sworn there was something."

"You must be imagining things," Alec replied.

"Maybe…," Jace considered. "Or maybe there's something you're no telling me."

Alec didn't respond.

"So, Alec, is there a special someone in your life?" he asked. Still met with silence, he continued, "a certain Slytherin, possibly the one who is looking at you right now?"

Alec nearly choked on his food. He turned around to look at the Slytherin table and his eyes met golden-green ones. Magnus winked at him, and Alec turned around again to look at Jace, who was looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Honestly, Alec, why didn't you tell me?"

"I- Well- Um- Wha- H-How did you know?" Alec asked shocked

"That you're gay? Alec, I'm your best friend, how could I not? Especially when of late, whenever Magnus was mentioned, you turned as red a tomato, and not to mention all of that time you have been spending with him."

Alec was speechless.

"And I am quite offended that you didn't tell me earlier. We're like brothers, we tell each other everything. Why not this?" Jace asked.

"I-I wasn't sure how you'd- I mean, I was worried that-" Alec tried to explain.

"- that I wouldn't want to be your friend anymore?" Jace asked. Alec nodded his head. "Alec, I couldn't care less about whether you are attracted to guys or girls or frickin' trees. Though that last one would be weird. But you're my best friends, and your sexual orientation doesn't change that."

Alec suddenly wondered why he had ever been worried. Of course Jace would mind, he knew that. He couldn't believe he ever doubted it.

"I know," Alec said. "But was it really that obvious?"

"Yes," Jace replied.

"I knew for years," Clary said suddenly.

"Even I could tell," pitched in Simon.

Alec put his head in his hands.

"But seriously Alec, what's got you so happy today?" Jace said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Did you kiss him?" Izzy asked impatiently.

Alec looked down at his food, trying to hide his blush.

It didn't work.

"FINALLY!" Izzy exclaimed, clapping her hands and getting the attention of the people nearby.

"_Izzy!_"

"Sorry." She whispered. "But when did it happen? How was it? No, start from the beginning. I want full details."

Alec buried his face in his hands and mumbled, "Noooo."

"Um, Izzy, you know, I'm good without that," Simon said.

"Same," Clary and Jace added.

"Fine," Izzy said. "But I need to have a quick chat with Magnus." She stood up out of her chair.

"Me too," added Jace, getting up to join her.

"Wait, why?" asked Alec.

"Oh, we just want to warn him," Izzy said.

"And tell him that if he breaks your heart, we break him," Jace continued.

"Wait, no, you don't have to do that," Alec said hurriedly.

"Don't worry Alec," Izzy said. She turned and started walking away.

Alec grabbed her wrist, stopping her from leaving, and said, "Okay, just don't go too far. He's asked me to the Yule Ball and I don't want you to-"

"He WHAT," Izzy said excitedly.

"And you thought you could keep THAT from me?" Jace asked, shaking his head.

"I'm picking out your dress robes. Clearly my fashion choices worked," she said, smirking. Alec didn't think it was possible, but he was sure his face turned a deeper shade of red.

Izzy and Jace started walking away from Alec and towards Magnus, and Alec kept his head down, trying to avoid looking at what was happening.

Before long, they returned. Alec looked at his sister expectantly.

"He's good," she said. Then, she turned towards Simon like nothing ever happened. Jace and Clary resumed their conversation from earlier as well.

Alec decided he was done and he headed out of the Great Hall and off to bed.

Not a moment after he left the Great Hall, he felt warm arms wrap around hip and soft lips press against his. He didn't even have to ask who it was.

"What was that for?" Alec asked.

"Just wanted to wish you goodnight," Magnus replied.

"Well, goodnight, Magnus," Alec replied, reluctantly pulling away from Magnus. He walked away, feeling Magnus's eyes on him.

And when he was almost out of earshot, he heard Magnus say, "Goodnight, Alexander."

And what a good night it was.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys. Sorry this update took so long. I have had a lot more homework than I expected. Also, with Blood of Olympus coming out in less than two weeks, I have been trying to reread Percy Jackson and HOO before it is released. But the next chapter is here (finally).**

**I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

_Magnus POV_

It was snowing outside when Magnus woke up the next morning. He stared up at the ceiling, feeling happy, though he couldn't quite remember why. Then, as the events of the previous day came flooding back into his mind, he couldn't help but smile to himself. It really had been the perfect day, from seeing Alec in that fantastic outfit, of which Magnus still had to thank Izzy for, right down to the final goodnight kiss, knowing it was something he could do freely now. He grinned at the memory of when he first leaned into Alec, the feeling of Alec's strong arms wrapped around his neck, his hands tugging at his hair, and his lips tingled when he remembered the taste of Alec's soft lips on them, inexperienced yet full of passion, taking Magnus's breath away. Magnus could almost imagine that he was still there.

He hummed happily to himself as he got up out of bed. Maybe he'd get to feel those surprisingly wonderful lips on his again today.

* * *

"Jace, have you figured out what the next task is gonna be?" asked Clary.

Magnus wasn't sure how, but he somehow managed to find himself seated at the Gryffindor table, which was surprisingly less crowded this morning. He was sitting next to Alec on his right, their fingers intertwined under the table so no one would notice, and Clary on his right. Magnus was running his thumb absentmindedly across the back of Alec's hand, and Alec was trying his best to hide that adorable blush.

"Um… yea, I've got it all figured out."

Clary didn't look convinced. "Really? Well then, what is it?"

"I'm afraid I can't say right now," Jace said.

"And why's that," Clary asked accusingly.

"Bane is here," Jace said. "He could go off and tell Camille, so her boyfriend would know it, and I'd much rather have the upper hand."

"You think I'd actually tell Camille?" Magnus asked.

"Well, yeah. You guys are like the best of friends, when you're not dating that is," Izzy put in.

"Yeah, I don't think that's the case anymore," Magnus said casually.

Everyone turned to him in shock. "Why?" Simon asked.

"Simple: Camille. Is. A. Bitch."

"Duh," Izzy said. "She's always been; everyone knew that."

"Except Magnus," Alec said under his breath.

Magnus pretended he didn't hear that. _Of course Alec didn't like her, especially not since she was your ex girlfriend_. Magnus wondered how long Alec had liked him.

"Well, it's over now," Magnus told them. "So you don't have to worry about me fraternizing with the enemy," Magnus direct at Jace.

"Okay, but I'm not taking any chances," Jace said.

Clary rolled her eyes. Magnus doubted she even believed he knew what the next task was. And honestly, Magnus wasn't convinced either.

"Oh, by the way, can I ask you something Magnus?" Izzy asked from across the table.

"Yeah?" Magnus replied, turning towards her.

"I was just wondering if you could help me with my makeup for the Yule Ball." She replied.

Magnus smiled. "Sure. But you don't really need any help. Your makeup is always flawless, from what I've seen," he replied.

Izzy smiled. "Why thank you. You're pretty good yourself. Especially your eyeliner; how do you always manage to get it so perfect, every time? Is it a certain brand or something?"

Magnus grinned; he loved it when he had someone to discuss this with. "Well, actually-"

"Could you guys stop talking about makeup?" Jace interrupted.

"Thank you!" Simon and Alec said at the same time.

"Hey!" said Izzy and Magnus, turning to their boyfriends.

"Sorry," Simon replied. "But I can never even tell what you are saying when you get into it."

"And as great as it is that you get along with my sister," Alec said to Magnus, "it is a little awkward for me that you bond _this_ much."

"At least they finally stopped," Jace put in.

"Or we could start again," Izzy said. "Magnus, as you were saying."

"Oh, no, Magnus; stop right there. You can't say it if she's not listening," said Simon, as he did the most un-Simon like thing and he pulled Izzy into a sudden kiss right there. Clary, Jace and Alec all had shocked expressions on their faces, while Magnus clapped his hands in approval.

Simon pulled back a moment later to find Izzy frozen in shock. "That…was…" Izzy began.

"Sorry-I-was that-?" Simon started to say, flustered.

"…the HOTTEST thing you have ever done!" Izzy finished, smiling at him.

"Oh… really?" Simon said, with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up," Izzy said, and she grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him. "I'm the hot one in this relationship," she said jokingly when she pulled away. "Though, it is _really_ hot when you do that."

"And I thought the makeup talk was annoying," Jace said, interrupting their moment.

"Really Jace, it's not like you don't do the same thing," Clary said.

"Yeah, but only I can do it since I'm the fabulous one."

"I beg to differ," Magnus said.

"Oh? You think you are more fabulous than me?"

"I think everyone thinks I'm more fabulous."

"Really? Let's see then," Jace said, turning to the rest of the group. "Who thinks Magnus is more fabulous than me?"

Everyone's hands shot up, Clary's being the last to rise.

Jace looked at everyone in shock. "Clary! Really?" he said, to which Clary just shrugged. Magnus gave her an approving nod.

Jace turned to Izzy, skipping over Simon as if he expected nothing less since everyone else raised their hands, and Izzy said, "Sorry Jace, but have you seen his style?"

Magnus grinned at her, and Izzy gave him a smile in return.

Jace's eyes landed on Alec's last. "Come on Alec, really, I'm your best friend."

"Sorry Jace, but I can't deny the truth." Alec replied.

Magnus's smile widened at his boyfriend's response. For some reason, it meant more when Alec said it. Magnus squeezed his hand lightly, and Alec smiled at him, he blue eyes shining, before he turned his head away, clearly hoping no one noticed. And as much as Magnus wished Alec was comfortable with it all, he was content being with him at all.

_He really is something special_, Magnus thought to himself.

* * *

Later that day, the snow finally stopped. It had snowed all morning, but only lightly, leaving a beautiful yet thin layer of snow on the grounds. And, seeing as he had nothing else to do, Magnus joined Alec and his group of friends and they did the only thing that seemed to make sense at the time: they had a snowball fight.

So there they were, outside, all bundled up in hats and scarves of their own houses. It was every man (and woman) for themselves, so before the grounds were covered in foot prints from the sprinting bodies of the students. The air was full of surprised screams and laughter, and Magnus loved it. Whoever thought snowball fights was only for kids didn't know anything. We are all kids at heart, because it's a great thing to be able to lose yourself once in a while and just act like your five-year-old self, the person without troubles or worries, and just have fun.

Magnus felt something icy hit the back of his head, shaking himself out of his thoughts. He turned to see Jace smirking at him. He was already forming another snowball.

"Oh, you got lucky Goldilocks. Don't think you'll get me again," Magnus called.

And so, Magnus quickly chucked the snowball he had in his hand. He smiled when it hit home, right on the top of Jace's head.

"You're not the only one who can throw," Magnus called when it hit his head.

"Oh, you'll pay for that," Jace responded, lifting his hand.

Jace threw his next snowball, but Magnus, expecting the throw, simply dodged.

"Told you- lucky," Magnus said.

Suddenly, a group of three snowballs came flying out of nowhere. Magnus dodged, but the snowballs seemed to have a mind of their own and they turned to hit him. Magnus looked around till his eyes landed on Clary, who was enchanting snowballs to fly everywhere. Simon had also taken that to habit, while Alec and Izzy were chasing each other, each with a snowball or two in hand. Alec was smiling as he chased his sister, his Ravenclaw scarf flapping behind him, the blue in the scarf bringing out his eyes, his cheeks a light pink from the cold. He was laughing, his voice a beautiful sound to Magnus's ears.

"Earth to Bane!" a voice said.

Magnus turned to face Jace.

"You look ridiculous you know, staring at him all the time," Jace said.

Magnus glared at him. "You look just as stupid, if not more, when you're around Cla-"

_Thump_. Another snowball on the back of his head. _God, how does that keep happening?_

Jace burst out laughing. "Nice shot, Alec!"

Magnus turned around to see his boyfriend grinning at him. "Why you little-" Magnus started. He bent down a scooped up some snow. "I'll get you for that!" he finished playfully. And he started towards Alec, snowball in his hand.

Alec turned around and started running away.

Magnus chased him around for a while, both of them laughing and smiling. When he got in range, Magnus threw the snowball, but as they were both running, it was really easy for Alec to dodge it, and the snowball flew by his right. But Magnus didn't stop chasing him.

Eventually, Alec gave in and let Magnus catch him. Magnus wrapped an arm around Alec's waist as the both stopped running and Alec bent over in laughter. They were both still laughing and Magnus wrapped his other arm around Alec, as to hug him from behind, trapping him in Magnus's embrace.

"Got you," Magnus whispered in Alec's ear. He felt Alec shudder slightly against him. But it was over as quickly as it started as right the Alec said playfully, "Or not," and he started to push himself out of Magnus's grasp.

"Oh no, you're not getting away from me so easily," said Magnus, so, before Alec could walk away, Magnus grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back, turning Alec to face him. He wrapped his arms around him once again and Alec looked up into his eyes. His blue eyes were wide, breathtaking as can be.

"You're so beautiful," Magnus blurted suddenly.

Alec turned his head down, his hair shielding him from Magnus as his face turned a deep crimson and he said, "Wha-me? No I-I'm not. I'm anything but. Especially when compared to you. You're the beautiful one. You're-". He shook his head slightly, as if he couldn't finish that sentence.

Magnus stared at him, shocked. How could he not believe he was beautiful? Magnus couldn't believe it. He had been so focused on that that he ignored the little stutter in his heart when Alec had called him beautiful.

He put one finger under Alec's chin and lifted his head, using the other hand to brush the hair from his eyes. "Alexander, look at me. You're beautiful in every single way." Magnus kept his gaze locked with Alec's.

"How could you even possibly believe that? I-I'm-" Alec began, trying to look away, but Magnus wouldn't let him. Magnus took Alec's face in his hands and held him there, slowly running his thumbs along Alec's cheekbones.

"-wonderful," Magnus said, cutting Alec off. "Beautiful. Amazing. That is what you are, nothing less," Magnus said, closing the distance between them and pressing his lips on Alec's. He felt the same tingling feeling as the time he first did it.

Magnus pulled back not too long after he started the kiss and asked, "Still don't believe you're beautiful?"

Alec looked up at him, cheeks still flushed. "Mmm… I might need some more convincing," Alec said, giving Magnus a soft and endearing smile.

Magnus was more than happy to comply.


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back! I know, its been a while, but school really sucks. Also, Blood of Olympus comes out this week! Whose excited? I am! **

**Anyways, this is my longest chapter yet so I hope it was worth the wait.**

**I would also like to take this time to thank everyone for the lovely reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying my AU :)**

* * *

_Alec POV_

"Jace, it's like -10 degrees outside!" Alec said as they headed down the stairs.

"Alec, I haven't played Quidditch, much less ridden a broom, in six months!" Jace argued. "Do you know what that's like for me? Just this one time, okay? Could you do that for me?"

"Fine," Alec replied.

If he was being honest, Alec also missed flying, just a little. True, he didn't actually play Quidditch, but he would always help Jace practice when they both had nothing to do. He enjoyed the feeling of flying, feeling as though he was weightless, the wind blowing through his hair as he saw the world spread out beneath him. He would also help Izzy practice at home, and sometimes the two would let Max join in and they would teach him the game. It wasn't the sport that intrigued him; it was the feeling of being free. It was one of the only times he felt as if there was nothing to worry about. He could imagine the rest of the world didn't exist for a second when he flew around on his own, as if it was only him and the sky. He wasn't connected to the troubles of his life on Earth, at least for a moment. So, when Alec left Hogwarts, he knew he wouldn't miss the sport since he can still fly around his family's estate and still get that wonderful freeing feeling.

So there he was, walking towards the Quidditch pitch, back to its original state, with his broomstick at his side. It was a Firebolt Supreme, the fastest broom in the world at the time when his parents bought it for him, 3 years ago. They had really wanted Alec to join the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, so they got him a top of the line broomstick as a surprise, early birthday gift, as if that would convince him to try out. Needless to say, it didn't work.

Jace had the same broom, despite the fact that there were countless newer, better models that have been released through the last few years. But he seemed happy with it, and he never lost a game while riding it so it was a pretty good fit.

Jace couldn't practice Quidditch at home, seeing as he lived in the heart of London, amidst all the muggles. Not that he would have anyone to practice with anyways. His parents worked in the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Mysteries, which was why they lived in the heart of the city, and were rarely home. But Jace's parents wouldn't let him visit any of his friends (and girlfriend), or let his friends visit, so most every summer was a lonely one. He was allowed to write to Alec and Izzy and Clary and other friends (he never really wrote to Simon, not that Alec blamed him; Alec didn't really write to him either), but Alec knew it wasn't the same. He knew how Jace would spend most of his time over the summers either in an empty apartment or he would walk to Diagon Alley and just look around at the shops. Most every business owner knew Jace so they would sometimes give him free samples of their food, extending the offer to Alec the few times he and Jace met up there, or help him with his homework. Jace's favorite destination was the joke shop, by far, and Alec always had to keep an eye out for his pranks at the beginning of the year. The owners of the store would also give him discounts or some small free items, sympathizing with him. Apparently they had a friend who, when they were at school, also had to go through summers without friends, even a year where he couldn't send letters to his friends (and he didn't receive letters either, but the owners never wanted to go into that).

Alec and Jace finally reached the pitch. It was a sunny morning, only a couple of clouds to be seen in the sky. The ground was still covered in a light layer of snow, the tips of the grass below starting to peek through. It was silent outside, not another human awake and outside for miles, leaving only the sounds of nature. If Alec listened closely, he could hear the faint clopping of a centaur's hooves or the small splash of the waves of the not-yet-frozen Great Lake. Alec saw a barn owl flying towards the castle, and he also saw a white cat, blending in with the snow, and he spotted a ginger guinea pig.

Not wasting another second, Jace hopped on his broomstick and kicked off the ground and into the air. Alec followed suit and not a moment later he was in the air, the ground getting farther and farther away. The ground shrunk away beneath him as he rose above the stands. The wind was stronger up here, blowing Alec's hair every direction. He shook it out of his face before flying over to Jace. Every time Alec helped Jace practice they would always race each other around the pitch. They were neck in neck as far as speed goes, so neither ever won more than a few times in a row. This time, Jace was rustier than Alec, so Alec easily won. He did a 360 degree aerial turn in the air when he beat Jace, with a cry of victory.

"Showoff," Jace said, yet with a grin.

Alec flew to the goal posts closest to him while Jace went down to the ground to retrieve the Quaffle. They fell into a familiar routine; Jace would shoot the fly around the pitch a little bit before heading towards Alec, aiming at one of the posts, and he would shoot. Alec was a pretty good Keeper, and he knew all of Jace's tricks, so he always provided a challenge. Jace would have to think up new strategies, new ways or tricks, or how to increase the speed and strength of the Quaffle throw or learn how to curve the throw, anything to score.

Alec was so focused in the game that his mind almost didn't register the figure that had sat down in the stands. Almost.

He felt eyes on him and risked a quick glance at the stands, to see Magnus watching him intently. However, this distraction allowed Jace to easily score. Jace shouted a "Yes!" and Magnus smiled to himself as Alec shot him a quick glare before rolling his eyes and returning his focus to Jace.

"The next one won't be as easy!" Alec shouted to Jace.

"Try not to stare at Magnus too much then," Jace called back with a smirk.

Alec felt his face turn red, and it wasn't from the cold.

Alec tried to ignore Magnus's presence while he defended, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. His eye's never left Alec, and Alec could constantly feel them on him, tempting him to turn his head. He managed as best that he could, but he didn't perform as well as usual. Jace scored more frequently as Alec's mind continued to wander towards the stands.

About 30 minutes later, Jace and Alec flew to the ground and dismounted from their brooms. Jace started heading back to the castle for breakfast while Alec stayed, waiting for Magnus.

It wasn't too long before Alec felt arms wrap around his waist from behind and soft lips press against his cheek. "Good morning, darling," Magnus whispered in his ear.

Alec turned around and placed his lips on Magnus's lips, before pulling out of Magnus's grasp and grabbing his hand, intertwining their fingers.

"What are you doing here?" Alec asked.

"Just wanted to see you," Magnus replied with a grin. They started walking back to the castle, hand in hand.

"How could you have known I would be here?" Alec questioned.

"I didn't," Magnus admitted. "I was just walking the grounds and saw you and Goldilocks heading towards the Quidditch pitch and decided, 'why not?'"

"Goldilocks? You're still calling Jace that?"

"Of course. I couldn't refer to him by his name. People would assume we were friends," Magnus said, still smiling at Alec.

Alec rolled his eyes, right when the Durmstrang champion, Viria, came into view, heading their way. Alec quickly let go of Magnus's and Magnus's smile dropped a little, and Alec immediately felt bad. He didn't want to hurt Magnus, but he still wasn't comfortable letting the whole world know of his sexuality. It was fine that his friends knew, and even though he knew most Hogwarts students didn't mind it, he didn't know how the other schools would take it.

It wasn't long till Viria passed them and was out of earshot. Alec let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and Magnus looked over at him. "You're not yet fully comfortable with people knowing, are you?" he asked Alec.

"Well no. I mean – it's just-"

"-its fine," Magnus reassured him. "Take your time. Being with you secretly is better than not at all."

Hearing that, Alec couldn't help but lean up to Magnus and kiss him. Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus, while Magnus's hands lifted to gently tug at Alec's hair, causing Alec to sigh softly.

Alec didn't let the kiss last long, since they were so close to the castle now, but with another smile from Magnus he knew it was fine. He understood.

They walked into the building and headed towards the Great Hall, both content with being next to each other.

_How did I end up with such a great boyfriend?_ Alec asked himself happily.

* * *

There were robes of dark royal blue with thin silver strings threaded throughout the fabric, barely noticeable yet adding a nice touch, lying on Alec's bed. It was December 25th, Christmas, the night of the Yule ball. There was a note that just said, "Hope Tessa gets this to you. Go get him tiger ;-) –Izzy" lying on top of the robes.

"Izzy," Alec groaned after putting the note down.

Alec knew she was picking his dress robes, but he had stupidly hoped that she would have at least picked out something simple. True, Alec knew that this was simpler than his sister would have preferred, but he really hoped that Izzy would have listened to him. He had asked, even_ begged_, her to get him regular black dress robes. He should have known she wouldn't have listened. At least the buttoned-down shirt to wear under was the regular white.

Alec sighed to himself. _Too late to change it now_, he thought sadly. He grudgingly grabbed the robes off the bed and started to change, making a promise to himself to get Izzy back for this.

He took a look at himself in the mirror when he finally put the robes on. If possible, his eyes stood out even more, contrasting with the dark blue brilliantly. He had to admit, it actually wasn't the worst option for his features. He just wished he could get rid of the silver strands, which, although unnoticeable to most, stood out way too much for his liking. And he still would have preferred plain black ones. But there was nothing he could do.

_It'll be fine_, he told himself. _It's just one night_.

He turned around and headed out the door.

* * *

As Alec neared the Great Hall, he spotted Jace and Clary immediately. Jace was in black dress robes that were scarlet on the inside, with a black buttoned-down shirt. Clary was in a simple yet elegant golden gown, her red hair ribboned up in a twisted updo. They looked like the staple Gryffindor couple, all red and gold. Jace had his arm around Clary and the two were smiling. They would be opening the dance, along with the other champions and their dates. Alec couldn't see any of the other champions, but as he searched, he spotted Izzy and Simon, making their way towards Clary and Jace. Simon was in simple black dress robes, much like what Alec had wanted to wear, and a white buttoned-down shirt. He was barely noticeable next to Alec's sister, who, as always, caught his attention, but not the same way as usual. She would usually some very revealing piece of clothing, but today it was different. She was in a white dress that, while it was tight fitting, showing off her curvy figure, was floor length, a little fanned out at the bottom, with hanging sleeves and a high neck line, and there was a silver, twisted band around the her waist. Her dark hair was in up in a bun made from a twisted braid, with a few strands of hair framing her face in curls. She had on a pair of black, high heeled boots and silver hoop earrings. Alec was surprised at the simplicity of the outfit, but Simon was looking at her like she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

Alec neared them just as they reached Clary and Jace, just in time to hear Clary exclaim, "Oh my god, Izzy! You look like a modern-day Princess Leia!"

"Who?" Alec and Jace asked simultaneously.

Simon rolled his eyes and muttered, "Purebloods. And they say muggle-borns are oblivious," before explaining, "Ok. In the muggle world, we have this thing called 'movies'." His voice took on the tone of someone explaining something to a 5-year old. "These 'movies' are basically moving pictures that tell a story, lasting usually 1 and a half to 3 hours. One of these movies that is really popular is Star Wars, a movie that takes place 'a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away'. It is basically one of the most epic movies ever, featuring Luke Skywalker who-"

"Yeah, whatever. Enough with the nerd-talk," Jace said, cutting him off. He turned to Izzy and Clary. "But that doesn't explain how you guys know it."

"Simon showed the movies me a couple of years ago," Clary explained.

"And I saw them over the summer when I went over his house," Izzy added. "You know, their actually not _that_ bad."

"Not that bad?" Simon questioned. "You couldn't take your eyes off the screen during the movie, and then demanded that we have a marathon."

Izzy shoved him playfully, and the two were smiling, and Alec understood why Izzy had chosen that dress.

"My, my, Alexander," a voice said suddenly to Alec's right. "You look absolutely stunning."

Alec blushed and turned to see Magnus smiling at him. Alec gasped. Magnus was in emerald green shiny dress robes with a glittery silver stripe down the sides and he had a purple buttoned-down shirt with golden buttons that had the first two buttons opened. He had purple eye shadow that made his yellow-green eyes pop, and glittery golden eyeliner. Alec didn't think it was possible, but he looked even more breathtaking than usual.

Alec, stunned into silence, shook himself out of his shock just enough to stutter out, "Th-thanks, you t-too."

Magnus's smile broadened. "You're so adorable when your speechless, even more so than normal." He turned to the rest of the group and his eyes landed on Izzy. "Let me guess… Princess Leia?" he guessed.

Izzy nodded and Alec turned to him, surprised, and asked, "Wait, how did you know that?"

"They played those movies at the orphanage from time to time," he explained.

Before Alec could say anything, the doors opened to the Great Hall. Students started flooding through the doors. Alec, Izzy, Magnus, Simon, Clary, and Jace followed the crowd.

The Great Hall looked like the inside of a fairy ice palace. All the tables were crystal white and the floor was a light pale blue, and there was fake snow falling from the ceilings. There were Christmas trees coated in light snow in the corners of the room. There were fairies flying around the room, above the heads of the students.

Clary and Jace went to sit at the head table with the rest of the champions and their dates. Alec, Magnus, Izzy, and Simon found a table off to the side and sat down as students trickled into the hall. Magnus grabbed Alec's hand under the table. Alec smiled up at him, briefly, before turning away.

He felt Magnus squeeze his hand. "Don't worry, no one was watching," he said quietly.

Alec wanted to lean against him and to kiss him right then and there, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. For the time being, he was content with being next to him, and it was great to know that Magnus wouldn't pressure him into anything. But he still felt a little bad about it.

The first part of the night flew by in a blur of small talk, laughter, delicious food, and the constant winks and compliments from Magnus. Before long, the food disappeared off the tables and the students stood up, before the tables and chairs disappeared as well. The champions and their partners walked to the center of the dance floor and turned to face each other. Jean André's date was, of course, Camille, who was in a strapless red dress that faded to black at the bottom. She had on black and silver heels and her hair feel in loose curls around her head. Jean André himself was in white dress robes and a white buttoned-down shirt with silver buttons. They looked like an angel and a demon, and you can guess who Alec pictured as the demon. Meanwhile, Viria had on a simple light blue dress, her hair falling around her carelessly. Her date was a Beauxbaton student with blonde hair and brown eyes in dark gray robes, like that of storm clouds, and his buttoned down shirt was black, with black buttons. The two were the least noticeable of the pairings, but they still looked great in their own way. Alec turned his attention to Clary and Jace, who were smiling and looking at each other as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Alec couldn't help but feel happy for his best friend. Before Clary, Jace had never been this happy, and even though she had annoyed Alec at first, she was a good influence on Jace, which was something he had needed.

The girls place one hand on their partner's shoulder, while their other hand grasped their partner's and their partner placed a hand on their hip. A soft waltz began to flow through the hall, and champions and their partners began to dance. Alec and Magnus stood off to the side with Simon and Izzy, watching the dancers and swaying slightly to the music. Other students started to move onto the dance floor. Izzy and Simon left while Alec and Magnus stayed where they were, next to each other but not to close.

As Alec watched all those couples dancing, he noticed Aline Penhallow dancing with Helen Blackthorn. Everyone knew the two were dating, but as Alec watched them, comfortable with who they were, Alec felt a surge of confidence. He grabbed Magnus's hand and pulled him to the dance floor. They got lost in the crowd before Alec stopped and turned to face him.

"Are you sure?" Magnus asked him.

Alec nodded and wrapped his arms around Magnus's neck as an answer. _What am I doing?_ Alec thought to himself, but just then Magnus smiled and placed his hands on Alec's waist, and they started to dance to the music.

Alec looked around nervously, worried of what people might think, but no one seemed to be paying attention, everyone too focused on their dance partners. Even the people on the sides didn't seem to mind, as their gazes passed over him and Magnus, not even lingering on them for a split second.

Alec turned back to look at Magnus, whose eyes were full of worry and concern. "We don't have to do this if you're not comfortable," he said to Alec.

"I'm fine. I want this," Alec said. Magnus smiled and Alec let himself get lost in his beautiful eyes, in the feeling of his arms around his waist. Really, it didn't matter what anyone thought. If someone wasn't okay with this, Alec didn't care anymore. This made him happy. Magnus made him happy. And that was what mattered to him.

Magnus was looking at him like he was the only person in the world, and Alec felt himself smile. God, he was beautiful. Magnus beamed at him, and Alec felt light on his feet. Lost in the moment, he couldn't help himself. Alec leaned up and, just as the song was ending, he kissed him. Magnus was momentarily frozen in shock, but quickly snapped out of it and lean into the kiss. Alec felt his embrace tighten as he was pulled closer to Magnus. His heart stuttered in his chest.

Alec barely registered the end of the song, but he did notice the applause of the other students for the band. He broke off the kiss, and Magnus was still smiling down at him, just before he heard a familiar voice say, "Well, it's about time."

Tessa came into view, smiling at the two of them. She had on a purple dress and her hair was in a messy bun.

"I was wondering when you two would finally let at least _me_ know. I didn't expect it to be when you told the whole school, but at least it's now clarified," she finished.

"How did you know?" Alec asked, shocked.

"Well, I wasn't a _hundred_ percent sure, but I had a fairly certain guess," she said. "As to how, well it really wasn't hard. What with Magnus's constant stares and flirtatious comments, and you, Alec, turning red as a tomato whenever he was around, it wasn't exactly difficult to piece together, at least not for me."

Alec mentally slapped himself. How was it that most everyone knew before he said anything? Was he really that obvious? He had really thought he had done a good job of hiding it. Apparently not.

"Well, you too have fun," she said before disappearing in the crowd. The music switched to a faster tempo as a new, yet widely popular band that Alec still had yet to learn the name of, took the stage. The crowd cheered when the lead singer came in.

Magnus steered Alec from the crowds before leaning in to place a quick kiss on his lips. "How about I get you a drink and you wait for me outside in the courtyard," Magnus suggested.

Alec nodded and Magnus gave him one last smile before turning away and making his way to the drinks. Alec smiled to himself before steering himself through the crowd, towards the exit to the courtyard.

* * *

As Alec fought his way through the mass of people, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around to see Raphael Santiago, one of the last people he expected to encounter tonight, or ever. He made a jester to follow him to the side of the room and Alec followed, curious as to what the fourth year would want.

When they reached a spot where they could easily hear each other, Alec asked, "What do you want?"

"To warn you," he replied simply.

That was a surprise. _Why would Raphael want to do that?_ Alec wondered. They had never spoken to each other before today. And what could Alec need a warning from?

"What? What do you mean 'warn me'?" Alec asked.

"You're dating Magnus, right?"

Alec's mind immediately went to defense mode. "Yeah, so? What's it to you?"

"To me, nothing. But it's not me you should be worried about. It's Camille," Raphael answered.

Alec's blood turned cold. "And why should I worry about her?" he asked, trying to seem confident although he felt extremely worried.

"Look. You know she and Magnus dated…" he began.

"Yeah, but they broke up. She's with Jean now, right?" Alec interrupted.

"Don't let that fool you. She still sees Magnus as hers. And now, she sees you dating him as taking him from her."

"But that's ridiculous! They're not even dating! And she has been fine with every other person Magnus dated," Alec argued.

"But Magnus has never been as serious about someone before you, not even Camille. Before, they were all just fazes to her, and Magnus always returned to her. The amount of times they have broken up and gotten back together is too many to count. Even when they are not together, she thinks Magnus as her's."

"Why are you telling me this?" Alec questioned.

"Because, you need to watch your back. Camille doesn't like you, and she doesn't like Magnus's and your relationship. She thinks you stool him, and, no matter what not-caring image she projects, she will do anything to get him back. She will do anything to get rid of _you_."

"I still don't get why you are telling me this. Isn't she your _friend_?"

"Ever heard the saying 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer'? And, while I don't see her as an _enemy_, I do know her true nature, and I get close to prevent myself from being in your situation. You don't want to be on the opposite end of her anger. It's quite a nasty result. I do, however, consider myself to be somewhat friends with Magnus, and you seem to be a good influence on him. So I am warning you for him. Remember, Lightwood; watch your back. She'll strike when you least expect it."

Without another word, he turned and vanished into the crowd, leaving Alec frozen in a state of shock. What Raphael said couldn't be true, could it? But Alec knew better than to put it past Camille.

Great. Just when everything seemed to be going well, Camille had to ruin it for him. But what could she do? There was no way she could ruin their relationship, could she?

Alec shook his head and walked outside. He sat down on the edge of a fountain that was currently off and he tried to push down his troubled thoughts as he waited for Magnus.


	12. Chapter 12

_Magnus POV_

Magnus didn't seem capable of wiping the smile off of his face as he walked out to the courtyard, two cups of hot chocolate in his hands. Alec was amazing. Magnus would have been fine with just _going_ to the Yule Ball with Alec. But then, when Alec asked to dance with him, he couldn't have been more happy, and surprised. He never thought Alec would come out so soon, much less in front of the majority of the school, as well as in front of the visiting students. But there he was, pulling Magnus into the sea of dancing couples. Magnus marveled at how brave and just _wonderful_ his boyfriend was, and he couldn't be more proud of him. The night was already a dream.

But then, Alec had kissed him. Right there. In the middle of the crowd. Alec kissed him, proving to anyone and everyone that he was happy with who he was, and with who he was with. If there was a moment when Magnus had loved anyone, it was then, even if he wouldn't admit to anyone anytime soon. Because, honestly, it scared him how fast and how hard he had fallen for Alec, when he had never felt this way before, and he didn't want to fall all the way before knowing that there would be someone to catch him when he did. But for now, he felt overjoyed, and nothing, nor anyone, was going to take that from him.

He spotted Alec immediately, over by the fountain, and he felt his smile widen. Alec looked especially stunning that evening, and Magnus didn't know it was possible for him to be more breath-taking. He was in blue dress robe that brought out his eyes, emphasizing the many shades of blue and the contrast between the light and dark tones. When they were dancing, Magnus felt as if he could drown in those eyes that he loved so much, eyes that he would be content with staring into for the rest of his life.

And there Alec was, sitting in front of him, as beautiful, if not more than, the winter scene around him. It wasn't snowing that night, but it had the night before, and the ground and the winter plants were covered in a light frost, the green of the leaves peaking through the white ice. There was not a cloud in the sky, the stars were especially bright, scattered across the raven sky, and the moon was in a crescent, a glowing "C" in the sky. But Magnus barely paid any mind to his surroundings as he walked towards Alec.

"Your drink, darling," Magnus said as he neared his boyfriend, offering one of the cups to him.

Alec jump slightly, surprised, and turned his head up, and Magnus grinned at the response. _He's just too cute_, he thought to himself, chuckling softly.

"Oh! Yes, thanks," Alec said softly, but there was something else in his tone that Magnus couldn't quite put his finger on. He dismissed it quickly enough; _it's probably nothing_, he decided. Alec took the cup and Magnus sat down happily next to him, with his own cup in his hand, heat steaming off the top from the hot drink. Magnus leaned slightly against Alec, taking the unneeded but much appreciated comfort of the presence.

They sat there, sipping their drinks, in a comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying each other's company. Magnus noticed a ginger guinea pig in the grass, but he didn't pay much attention to it for there seemed to be something bothering Alec. He wouldn't look at Magnus, but instead stared ahead, his eyes slightly unfocused, suggesting he was lost in thought, and his hands were shaking ever so slightly. It was barely noticeable, so slight that a stranger wouldn't pick it up, but Magnus did, and from the small tremble he suspected one thing: nerves.

"Alec, are you alright?" Magnus asked.

"What?! No- I mean, yes, I'm fine," Alec said looking up, his eyes locking with Magnus's. "Why?" he asked quickly.

"You just seem nervous," Magnus said. "…a little more that the adorable usual," he added.

Alec blushed at the side comment, but he was still clearly nervous. He looked away from Magnus, refusing to meet his eyes. But Magnus wasn't having any of it. He reached his hand out and lightly turned Alec's face towards him again.

"Alexander," he began. "Please tell me what's wrong."

Alec looked down. "It's nothing, really. I mean, it's just-no, it's nothing. It's not important…"

But Magnus didn't need to hear anything else. It clicked in his mind. Alec was probably nervous and in shock of how bold he had been in the dance. And how could he not be? He had just come out to the whole school (well, for the most part anyways; this stuff travels fast throughout the school anyways, so no doubt the younger students would know of this as well within a day or two after the break); he was probably still a little worried of what people might think or say or even do. Just an hour ago, Alec wouldn't have even considered something so forward, so soon, but that was all forgotten in the heat of the moment. He probably was shocked that he had even done that.

Magnus put his cup aside and did the same with Alec's. He wrapped Alec up in his arms, resting his chin on the top of Alec's head, which was pressed against Magnus's chest.

"Its okay, Alec; you don't have to explain. I understand," Magnus told him softly.

Alec pulled back from Magnus and looked into Magnus's eyes. "You…you do?" he asked, surprised.

"Of course," Magnus said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're a little shocked about how you came out in the Great Hall. You are worried about what people might think or say about you."

Alec was looking off to the side, his hair covering his eyes, his face tilted down. As if finally comprehending what Magnus had said, he looked up and said, "Y-Yes! That's it…" he trailed off, his tone holding a faint, unconvincing note, so faint, Magnus wondered if he had imagined it. "It's all been a little too much to handle," Alec said, convincing Magnus that, yes, this was all that was bothering his boyfriend.

"Well, then, don't you worry your pretty little head," Magnus said, his smile coming back. "No one was paying attention, and even if they were," Magnus kissed Alec's forehead. "…they didn't care. And… even if they did," he kissed Alec on the tip of his nose. "…I don't care. Because there is nothing they can do to take you away from me or change the way I feel about you. It's their problem, and I don't care what they think. _You_ are all that matters to me, and if they don't like it, they can go screw themselves. And," Magnus paused for a moment, his voice serious. "…if anyone ever tries to hurt you because of this, I will be there to stop them."

Alec was staring at Magnus, a surprised look in his eyes, his mouth slightly open in shock, and Magnus didn't blame him. He knew what he said was a lot, but it was all true, and he couldn't help himself. He wanted Alec to feel better, for Alec to know that he would do anything for him.

"Really?" Alec asked softly, his eyes wide. Magnus tried not to get too lost in the sea of blue in front of him.

"Really," he answered, pouring as much meaning as he could into those few words. "Would I lie to you?"

Alec smiled and shook his head, before pressing his soft lips to Magnus's. Magnus breathed him in, trailing his hands to Alec's hips. He smiled into the kiss; Alec's lips were sweet from the hot chocolate and his breath was warm.

Alec broke off the kiss first. "Thank you," he whispered softly, before kissing Magnus again.

Magnus hummed happily to himself, but didn't let the kiss last long. He jumped up to his feet, holding his hand out to Alec.

"Dance with me?"

"What? Here?" Alec asked. "But there's no music." Magnus knew he was trying to get out of it.

Magnus thought that through. "Hmm, you're right." he smirked, pulling Alec to his feet. "I guess that means we'll just have to go inside."

Alec shook his head quickly. "But, Magnus, I-I don't dance. I _can't_ dance."

"That's ridiculous," Magnus countered, waving off the excuse. "You were doing well enough earlier."

"But that was a slow dance; it's not that hard to do. _And_ we were barely moving. But, in there, they are dancing to something more upbeat, moving in the way I never could." He turned his head down.

"It doesn't hurt to try," Magnus suggested. "Please, for me?" he asked, pouting for effect.

When Alec remained stubborn, Magnus kissed him on the lips before letting his mouth wander to the side of Alec's face. "Please," he whispered over and over as he moved along Alec's cheekbone. He felt Magnus shudder and he grinned, knowing he was winning.

"Fine," Alec muttered reluctantly.

Magnus pulled back smiling. "I know," he said, winking.

Alec rolled his eyes. "I hate you."

Magnus leaned in to kiss him, pausing just before their lips touched and he opened his eyes to see Alec's eyes closed. "Hmmm… No you don't," he decided, leaning back.

Alec snapped his eyes open to glare at Magnus. "Let's just go inside.

"If you insist," he replied. He grabbed Alec's hand and pulled him inside before he could say anything else.

When they walked in to the room, they were immediately faced with blaring pop-rock music and dancing bodies. Some were just swaying to the beat while others were twirling around their partners and laughing. There were people standing to the side, glaring at the crowd with their arms crossed. Others were walking out of the room, searching for a more private location.

Magnus dragged a reluctant Alec to the middle of the crowd. He let the music take over his body while Alec swayed awkwardly and looked from side to side.

Magnus smiled and nudged Alec a little. "Loosen up, dear. Relax." He placed his hands on Alec's hips and started to guide him. Magnus felt his smile widen as he saw Alec become more comfortable.

All of a sudden, the song changed to something a little more upbeat. As some of the students started to bounce up and sown, Magnus grabbed Alec's hand and sent him in a tight, fast spin. He laughed when he saw Alec's dizzy expression. Alec tried to glare at him, but his lips quirked up and he started to laugh as well.

"Alec!" a voice called suddenly.

Izzy came into view, a smile on her face. She smiled at Magnus before turning her attention to Alec.

"Dance with me," she said.

"Izzy! Why?" Alec asked.

"Because I want to dance with my brother," she answered. "Don't tell me you won't dance with your darling sister." She gave him puppy-dog eyes and pouted her lips, much like Magnus had and Magnus knew Alec would give in.

Alec turned to Magnus with a look that said 'I'm sorry' and Magnus chuckled.

"Its fine, Alec. Go dance with you sister. I have been a little too selfish with you," Magnus said. "Not that I'm ashamed of it," he added with a wink.

Izzy smiled, grabbed Alec's wrist and pulled him away from Magnus, deeper into the sea of people.

Magnus watched them go before drifting to the side, where he stood by an empty table. He watched as familiar faces danced in and out of few. He saw Clary laughing as Simon twirled her, his voice adding to the laughter, the two still smiling when Jace took Clary's hand and sent a quick but not serious glare at Simon, who put his hands up, still laughing. He spotted Aline and Helen, dancing together, looking as cute as ever. Alec and Izzy could be seen every now and then, like now. Alec was spinning his sister, even though it looked like she was doing all the work. When Alec saw Magnus, he smiled at him and Magnus returned the smile, before Izzy dragged him out of view again.

Suddenly Magnus's view was obscured by a very familiar face, blonde curls, and green eyes. Magnus glared at her.

"Hey Mags," she said flirtatiously.

"Camille," Magnus replied with an indifferent tone. He crossed his arms and glared at her. "What do you want?"

"To see you of course," she answered. "I've missed you," she added, placing a hand on his arm.

"Huh. Really? Could have fooled me, especially with that last outburst," he said coldly.

"You didn't think I meant any of that, did you Mags?" she asked. Her voice had a sweet tone to it, but Magnus wasn't falling for it. He knew that voice. It was the voice she used to get she wanted, to lull her pray into a false sense of security. It was all an act, it meant nothing. "I still like you, Mags."

"What happened to Jean?" Magnus questioned.

"Oh, he was nothing," she answered. "I think he went off to dance with some random girl when I broke up with him." And sure enough, Magnus spotter said champion dancing with a girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She looked familiar. What was her name? Emily? Eve? Oh, that's right: Eva. She was a fourth year in Gryffindor that Magnus only knew because Raphael had a thing for her. It was quite annoying, really, having to listen to him go on about a girl who clearly didn't want him. Her dancing with Jean was proof enough.

"Not that he seemed to mind," Camille added, bringing back Magnus's attention. "But I don't care. I want to be with you Mags."

"I'm with Alexander, Camille," he reminded her.

"Oh him," she said, "he doesn't matter. You can't honestly tell me that he matters this much to you. He's a nobody, out-shinned by his younger siblings. He doesn't even look that good. I honestly can't understand what you see in him. You could do so much better than him."

"There is nobody better, Camille. If you really were my friend, you'd understand," Magnus answered.

"Understand what? That he's different. That he's special. That…" she began.

"That I love him!" Magnus said, cutting her off.

Camille was shocked into silence, and Magnus was pretty surprised himself. What had he said that? Why? To shut her up? Prove her wrong? He hadn't even been able to admit that to himself, and here he was, shouting it at Camille. But it felt true, every bit of it felt right.

"I love him," Magnus said again, softly.

Camille shook her head. "You see, I know you. I have known you for years. And I _know_ you don't mean that."

"Then you clearly don't know me."

"_And_," she continued, as if Magnus had never said anything. "…even if you did mean it, he doesn't love you, does he? That boy doesn't feel the same way. So what's the point of chasing him? Why not go for someone you love who loves you in return."

"Who? _You?_ You care for no one but yourself," Magnus said, disgusted. "And I couldn't love someone like that. We might have dated before, but it meant nothing. We were friends, but even that is fading away. We are far from 'love'." He turned his head away from her.

Camille let out a frustrated sigh, but Magnus didn't turn his head back.

"Fine then," she said suddenly. "We'll see about that." And before Magnus could register those words in his brain, he felt his head being turned and lips being pressed against him.

On pure instinct, he felt himself kiss back, his hand grabbing onto her. But it felt wrong. Why did it feel o wrong? He was kissing Camille, something he had done countless times before, something that used to feel right. But it was different this time. Magnus felt nothing, no passion or happiness, only confusion and sudden anger.

He knew why it was wrong now. Alec. _Alec_ was the one he should be kissing, not Camille. _What am I doing?_ Magnus asked himself. Suddenly his body felt cold, and, without another second, he pushed her off of him.

"What are you doing?!" Magnus asked, frustrated, his voice filled with anger. He glared down at Camille, who had a smug look on her face.

"Just showing you how much you still care for me," she said wickedly.

"You're disgusting. You KNOW I'm dating Alec."

"Yeah, about that," she said in mock concern, looking over Magnus's shoulder. "I don't think that's the case anymore."

Magnus spun around, just in time to see a head of black in blue robes nearing the exit of the Great Hall. Without a second thought, he moved to follow him, before feeling a hand on his wrist, spinning him back around. His eyes met green ones. Eyes that used to be beautiful. Eyes that he now hated. Green. Huh, funny how her eyes matched her perfectly: beautiful but filled with envy.

He glared at where she was grabbing him. "Let. Go. Of. Me." He threatened, pulling his hand out of her grasp.

"You can't seriously be thinking of following him," Camille said, disbelieving. "Stay here, with me."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do," Magnus snarled. "You are a bitch, a cold-hearted bitch. And you possibly just ruined the best relationship of my life."

"What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? Cause I'm not. It was never going to work anyways. You and I on the other hand, we had a chance."

"Just stop. Shut up and leave me. Never talk to me or look at me again. I can't stand you anymore." When she didn't leave, he added, "GO! I am through with you. You sicken me. LEAVE!"

She finally turned around and left at that, and Magnus glared at her, before turning around. He ran towards the door. He _had_ to find Alec. He had to explain, to apologize. He knew he just ruined everything. And it had been such a perfect night. Leave it to Camille to tear it all apart.

He ran out into the Hall, but there was no sight of Alec. He called Alec's name, but it was in vain. No one answered. He didn't know the way to the Ravenclaw Tower, and he probably wouldn't be able to answer correctly at the moment. He couldn't think straight. He was overwhelmed with emotions; hatred towards Camille, towards himself, regret, loss, longing, and the need to see Alec. But he didn't know what to do.

He punched the wall and let out a shout before falling to the ground.

* * *

**Hope you guys don't hate me too much after that.**

**But don't worry.**

**The drama isn't over.**

**There may or may not be more up my sleeve.**

**I love this story :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, I know you all probably hate me for the last chapter, and this one won't make you think any higher of me. BUT... I'll take you're opinions into account.**

**The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll get Malec back together. It's all up to you. Deal?**

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_Alec POV_

Alec ran through the corridors and up several flights of stairs, vision blurry, and the sound of his pounding heart muting the echoes of the music and chatter from the Great Hall. He pushed himself forward, each step echoing off the walls, taking him further from happy faces, further from a soon to be concerned and raging sister, increasing the distance between Alec's shattered heart and the cause of its down-fall.

_Magnus_.

The mere thought of his name sent piercing daggers to his heart as the scene in the hall replayed itself in Alec's brain. He angrily pushed the memory away. He would not think of that, he _could_ not. He would not let himself fall apart, at least not until he reached the safety of the empty Ravenclaw Tower.

When he reached the entrance, he realized he couldn't think straight, especially not enough to answer whatever riddle there was today. But he had to try. He couldn't wait out here until others came back from the party to find him sitting on the floor, with-

_No_, he told himself firmly. _That won't happen_. He forced back his ever so threatening tears and stared at the eagle knocker.

"What Am I?" it began, before continuing. "I'm sometimes white but always wrong.  
I can break a heart and hurt the strong.  
I can build love and tear it down.  
I can make a smile but more often a frown.

What Am I?"

Alec gave the knocker a hard look, but he didn't even need to think the riddle through before responding.

"A lie," he answered, biting back the resurfacing tears. _Just a few more seconds_, he told himself.

And sure enough, he answered correctly.

The door opened, and Alec entered a room of blue and bronze. He didn't waste a second taking in the familiar surroundings, however, as he ran up the stairs till he reached his thankfully empty dorm. The door shut behind him and he slid down to the floor against it. He let the memories flood over him and finally let go.

_He let himself be dragged away from Magnus by Izzy. He knew he wouldn't get out of this, so what was the point of resisting? _

_He danced with Izzy for three songs. It all went by in a blur, a blur in which he realized that he actually wasn't too bad of a dancer. He didn't remember much, other than the one moment where he danced by Magnus, smiled at him, and received a smile in return before being dragged back into the crowd by a smiling Izzy. He loved seeing Izzy so happy, and it made him smile too. Everything about this night was great. _

_It was not to long after that that the third song ended. Izzy finally let him go, and he walked through the dancing bodies, looking for Magnus. There were so many people there, and Alec spotted a few people he recognized. Aline and Helen were now heading off to the courtyard, hand in hand, and he also saw the Beauxbaton champion dancing with a girl with brown hair that Alec didn't know the name of. He wondered where Camille was, seeing as she wasn't with Jean. He couldn't help but feel at least a little happy at the fact that Magnus's ex wasn't having that great of the night, or maybe even that Jean broke up with her. He knew he shouldn't think that way, seeing as Camille had never done anything to him specifically, besides dating Magnus, but it wasn't her fault for not knowing how he felt. Alec wouldn't be surprised if she didn't even know he existed before this year. But still, he heard of some of the rumors about what she did before to other people, not to mention, he did know she did _something_ to Magnus, seeing as he was no longer friends with her, so he didn't feel guilty for finding pleasure at her small misfortune. _

_Alec shook his head. He didn't need to think about her anymore. She didn't matter-_

_Alec stopped where he was, looking at the other side of the room at a sight he never expected to see today._

_There she was, wearing a red dress with her blond curls falling behind her. Camille._

_But it wasn't Camille that caught Alec's attention. It was the Slytherin that she was standing _way_ to close too. His face was turned away, but Alec knew who it was. No one else would ever be brave enough to wear such bold fashion choices. It was Magnus._

_Alec barely had any time to take anything in before he saw Camille turn Magnus's head and lean forward and…_

_Kiss him._

_She kissed him._

_And as Alec watched, he saw Magnus place his hands on her. But he didn't push her away. He didn't push her off like Alec expected. He was kissing back, and it was like the world slowed down around Alec. Everyone around him faded away, except for Magnus and Camille. He couldn't hear anything except the pounding of his heart._

_It had only been a second, but Alec couldn't take it. He couldn't stay there. He couldn't stand to watch his boyfriend kissing someone else. Almost as soon as it had begun, he turned around and ran. He ran through the crowd of people, heading for the door. He felt his eyes tear up but he didn't let any fall. He pushed his tears back; he couldn't let anyone see him cry. It was a Lightwood family thing: Lightwoods don't cry, and if you do, you don't let anyone see. Crying showed weakness, and Lightwoods should not, could not, look weak._

_As he ran, he ignored the faces around him. He didn't see anything but the door ahead of him. He didn't ever see Magnus push Camille off of him, nor did he hear anything he said to her. He didn't notice Tessa's confused look. When he finally left the Great Hall, and when he had already ran down a few corridors, he didn't hear his name being called desperately. He just kept running and running, not daring to look back, stop, or turn around._

Now he was finally in his room, finally alone. But somehow, he felt worse. Thinking about it all, replaying it again and again, was doing nothing for him. And to make it worse, he couldn't stop thinking about everything from earlier that night, dancing with Magnus, coming out to the school, kissing him, except now the memories were bitter-sweet. One memory kept coming into his mind: Raphael's warning. God, how he wished he had listened to him.

For once, Alec thought he mattered. For once he had something to look back on and be happy about when he thought about his time at Hogwarts. The year had looked so promising. Before, Alec couldn't wait to get out of there. He only had Jace, who would be out of school as well in a few years, and if Alec wanted to see him before then, he could meet him at Diagon Alley over the summer. Magnus had made him happier at Hogwarts, gave him something else to remember the school by. _And to think I _actually_ thought he cared about me_, Alec thought bitterly.

Of course he didn't care. Why would he? Who would care about plain, boring, old Alec? Alec, the only Lightwood who didn't make it in Gryffindor, who didn't live up to the family name. Alec Lightwood, out-shinned by his siblings and who wasn't even good enough to be the top of his class. He wasn't brave enough to be in Gryffindor, nor was he the smartest Ravenclaw, and he wasn't memorable enough to be noticed by the people in his own grade. He wasn't even all that attractive. Alec was convinced of all of this. He wondered why Magnus had even liked him in the first place.

_But he didn't like you, did he?_ He asked himself. He was just using you. It was probably all just a game to him. A fun experiment. Or maybe even a way to make Camille jealous. Alec was just being toyed with. Everything Magnus told him, everything he did, all the feelings he evoked, it was all an act. A stupid act Alec had willingly and stupidly fell for.

Alec heard a soft knock at the door, but he ignored it, hoping that whoever it was would just go away and leave him to wallow in self pity.

But a minute later, the person knocked again. "Alec?" called a soft voice.

It was Tessa.

"Alec, please open this door."

Alec sighed and stood up. He placed a hand on the doorknob and paused for a moment, before opening the door.

Upon seeing Alec in his post-heartbreak state, Tessa's face softened to deep concern. "Oh, Alec," she said before taking Alec in her arms.

Alec stood frozen for a second before hugging her back. He let a few tears fall down his face and Tessa hugged him tighter. Alec didn't realize how much he had needed this. It was the type of thing Izzy would have done for him. Alec was surprised at how close they had become, but he didn't spend too much time thinking about it. He was thankful for her, thankful for someone who he knew cared about him, someone else to turn to, someone who would be there when he needed them, and someone besides Jace or Izzy, who couldn't be there in situations like this, when Alec was hiding out in his dorm. He let himself draw comfort from the presence of his friend.

Tessa guided him to sit on the edge of the nearest bed before separating from him. She looked at him and locked their gazes. "What happened?" she asked him, her eyes full of concern and sympathy.

Alec looked away from her. "Shouldn't you be at the ball?" he asked her.

"I don't have any reason to stay," she began. "I didn't have a date, and to be completely honest, it just isn't my type of thing. I was planning on leaving to go finish my book anyways. And," she said, slowing her pace and softening her voice, "I noticed your quick dash out of the Great Hall."

Looking at those gray eyes, Alec couldn't help but let everything out. He didn't hold back anything, from Raphael's warning to running from the Great Hall. As hard as it was to relive the emotions, it felt good let it out, to have someone to confide in.

As he told his story (to which Tessa listened intently), his sadness turned to anger. He hated this feeling. He hated what Magnus did to him, how he toyed with him, made him feel special for once, only to tear it all apart in the blink of an eye. But no matter what, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get himself to hate _Magnus_. He hated what he did, but he couldn't hate him. His previous feelings for him over-powered his hurt. He would ever admit it to anyone, not even himself, but he was afraid that he had started to love Magnus. _Not that it matters_, Alec thought to himself sadly, _considering the other party doesn't return these feelings._

Even though he couldn't hate Magnus, he sure could hate Camille. And hate her he did. He hated her for taking Magnus from him. He hated her for stealing Magnus's heart. He hated her for taking him back on this very night, for kissing him at the Yule Ball. And after Alec had came out to the school, after she _knew_ they were dating. And he hated her for being the one that Magnus actually cared for, the one he actually loved. And why wouldn't he? She was perfect. Sure, she could be a cold-hearted she-devil (all the more reason to hate her), but she was beautiful, confident, put-together, and kind and protective over those that cared for her, such as Magnus. And Alec hated her for that as well. Not to mention she was in the same house as Magnus, so they clearly had similar traits. They were practically the perfect match.

Alec hated it.

But most of all, he hated himself. How could he have been so stupid? He had let himself fall way to deep with Magnus, and didn't pay enough mind to any warning that came his way. He hated himself for being so blind, for thinking that Magnus would actually like _him_. He would have saved himself so much pain and confusion if he just kept his feelings at bay rather than letting them control him. And he hated how he felt for Magnus. He hated his stupid broken heart and how it was so unable to hate was caused it to break, but instead for loving him. And he hated how he couldn't just get over him.

As soon as Alec finished sharing the events of that night, Tessa gave him another quick hug before looking at him again. "Are you sure he was kissing her back?" she asked him. "And, you don't know, he could have pushed her off after you left… You did say you were only there for a second or two, right?"

Alec shook his head. "No, he was definitely kissing back," he replied sadly.

"Are you sure? I mean, maybe…"

"Please, Tessa, don't try to make excuses."

"But the thing is when I came to see you, I passed him sitting on the floor in the corridors, alone, and he didn't look too good. But I was too concerned about you so I didn't stop and barely registered his presence till I was already up two flights of stairs. But now I see that maybe…" She trailed off, before Alec interrupted.

"Please don't get my hopes up, Tess, for they can fall just as easily," Alec replied, turning away from her.

"I know," she said. "You're right Alec. I just can't believe that he would do something like that."

"Neither can I," Alec said, mostly to himself.

"I guess we don't know him like we thought we did," Tessa sighed. "I'm so sorry Alec," she said, hugging him for the third time. "Is there anything you want me to do for you."

"No, you don't have to," Alec replied. "Just-please don't tell Izzy or Jace, or anyone who would tell them. They're going to tear Magnus apart."

"Oh, and you think I won't do the same?"

"Tessa!"

"What? He can't just get away with messing with you. You never did anything to deserve this."

"It's just…" Alec sighed. "Look, please don't do anything to hurt him." He struggled to find a believable excuse. "On the off chance that this was all just a big misunderstanding, I don't want to push him away."

Tessa studied him, a look full of disbelief on her face. In truth, Alec just couldn't bear the thought of Magnus being in deep, physical pain. He cared for him, still.

Luckily, Tessa let it drop, probably deciding that the night had been difficult enough for Alec already. She shook her head and looked back up before saying, "Fine. Just don't expect me to be all buddy-buddy with him. I won't just stand by and let him dance over the pieces of your heart."

"Thank you," Alec said.

Tessa stayed with Alec for a while, just comforting him and helping him get his mind off of Magnus. When they heard other students walking up the stairs, Tessa and Alec bid their goodnights and Tessa went to her dorm, leaving Alec to dress for bed and go to sleep. He practically ripped the clothes off his body, not wanting anything left to remind him of that night. He threw on a pair of boxer shorts and a T-shirt before flopping onto his bed.

His fellow roommates walked in and moved around the room, chatting happily and going about their own business, but Alec didn't pay any attention to them. He pretended he was asleep, even though he did catch his name a few times, as well as Magnus's. He groaned in his mind. Of course, he knew what they were discussing. Now they all knew he was gay. Alec kept his eyes firmly shut, not wanting to deal with any conversations about it, or any judging looks that he still expected to get. No, he would deal with that another time. He didn't have the energy for it tonight.

Finally, the conversations ended, the movement stopped, and the lights were turned off. But with the darkness came the memories again. However, now his eyes remained dry. The pain was still fresh, but he couldn't find it in him to cry. He would not shed a tear over someone who didn't care about him, over someone who used him. He never felt the same way. There was no point in feeling sad about something that was never real. Nor could he let Magnus ever find out how much this affected him. He would not give Magnus the satisfaction. And even if he did care at a time, he didn't anymore, and at least Alec could make it seem like he didn't really like Magnus that much either. No, Magnus would not get the reaction he expected, the reaction he maybe wanted. Alec would have to seem unaffected, and seeming to be so was one step closer to being unaffected. It was a step towards getting over Magnus, and that was what Alec really needed at that moment: to move on. And he should. This was just the first relationship, and Magnus was just one guy. There would be others to come, others that returned Alec's feelings. Alec was sure of it.

Alec told himself this over and over till he, not erased or decreased, but numbed the pain, at least for a little while. He knew it would take a while to get over him, but he knew the feelings for him would never go away. But he would not let himself get too emotional over it.

It was with that decision that Alec finally let his mind drift off into a restless sleep.

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**Like I said earlier, the more reviews I get, the sooner I'll get them back together.**

**It's in your hands.**

**Have a great Halloween :)**


	14. Chapter 14

_Magnus POV_

The rest of Christmas break was miserable. Between searching for Alec, who Magnus had no doubt was avoiding him, and reasonably so, and planning ways to get Camille back for this, Magnus wallowed in self-pity and hate.

As much as he hated Camille and wanted to blame her for everything, he knew he couldn't. He _knew_. He knew this was also his fault. He should have never let it happen. He should have pushed her off as soon as she kissed him. Why didn't he do that? Why did he kiss her back? Why, when he had Alec? _Well, _had_ being the key word_, Magnus reminded himself bitterly. He should have pushed her off right away. No, she shouldn't have even been able to kiss him in the first place. He shouldn't have let her get so close to him in the first place. He should have left her as soon as she started talking. But he didn't, and he hated himself for that, for it cost him Alec.

But don't get him wrong, he didn't blame himself _entirely_. The best moments were when he pushed all of his anger and hatred and blame on _her_. Why couldn't she get it through that thick skull of hers that they were over? Not that she even bothered trying to get back with Magnus after the Yule Ball. Either she knew Magnus would never go for it or she never actually cared, that she just wanted to end Magnus and Alec's relationship. Magnus convinced himself that it was the later of the two, even though the first was more likely, because it just made it all the more easier for him to hate her. She would pay for this, Magnus promised himself that, but not just yet. Now, he had to find Alec and apologize, do anything and everything to fix this. If Alec forgave him, then the two could take their revenge together; if not, well, all the more reason to go for the claws to come out.

Speaking of Alec, Magnus had not been able to talk to him once over the last few days. The first few after the Yule Ball, he didn't even see him; not in the Great Hall during meals nor anywhere in the castle or on the grounds. Magnus decided that Alec was probably taking food from the kitchens, seeing as he had started waking up really early to wait in the Great Hall, hoping Alec would walk through the doors, but he never did.

In the days following the first few, he finally spotted him. He was eating at the Gryffindor table on that Thursday morning, talking to Jace and Izzy as if nothing had happened, pointedly avoiding looking at the Slytherin of Ravenclaw tables. And though he wasn't looking at Magnus, that didn't stop Izzy and Jace from sending death stares his way. Magnus knew they were planning on cornering him, but he was surprised that it hadn't happened earlier. Maybe Alec had told them not to? That was good right? Maybe Alec didn't hate him and there was a chance. Magnus could only hope.

But when Magnus tried to talk to him after breakfast, he quickly headed in the other direction, not bothering to stop or look at Magnus. Magnus's heart dropped at that.

The event kept repeating itself too; whenever he tried to talk to Alec, no matter where they were, or when, Alec would walk away, ignoring him, walking right by him acting as if Magnus didn't even exist. And as much as it hurt him, Magnus didn't blame Alec for it.

Magnus couldn't forget that night. His mind replayed Alec's form running out of the Great Hall, and how he followed, only to be met with empty halls, no way to go, and no response to his calls.

_As he slid to the floor, the last person he expected to see had walked out of the Yule Ball. Red hair and blue eyes came into view._

_Viria Karsten, the Durmstrang champion._

_She spotted Magnus and looked down at him, confused._

_"Vot's wrong? Vare is your boyfriend?"_

_Magnus just shook her head and didn't look at her._

_He noticed that she knelt down next to him. He felt her eyes boring into him, forcing him to look up at her._

_"Did something happen?" she asked._

_"Nothing," he said. He didn't want to share it with her, considering that he doubted she even knew his name. "I don't feel like talking about it."_

_An awkward silence fell between them, but neither seemed to mind. Viria remained next to him._

_Finally, Magnus spoke up. "What about you, shouldn't you be at the Ball? "_

_She shook her head. "I don't like parties. I don't like the crowds. And I really don't like all the attention I get ven I'm in there, or ever really."_

_"So why did you put your name in for the Triwizard Tournament, if you don't like attention?"_

_"Oh, my friends forced me on the trip and then put my name in the cup. I vos originally going to avoid putting my name, and I did, only to find that they had put my name in. They seemed to think I was could vin," she said, before saying so softly that Magnus almost imagined he had heard it, "using my ability to vin it for the school." But she quickly covered it up with "but I guess they veren't completely vrong. I mean, here I am, school champion," she said sarcastically. "So now I have to deal with all the reporters and all these expectations, ven all I vont is to shrink away from it all and hide and be alone. I didn't even vont to find a date to this stupid ball." She looked up at the ceiling, before shouting, "you know, there are some people out there vu don't vont or need love!" She leaned her head on the wall. "Now look at me; venting my problems to a stranger."She turned to look at Magnus._

_He was stunned into silence. However, before he could say anything to that, she stood back up and walked away, still not knowing the name of her momentary companion. _

_Magnus watched her go, confused. She was one complicated being; one who Magnus thought had some issues she needed to work out._

_After a few moments he stood up and walked to the Slytherin common room, seeing as he had nothing better to do, with the night in as much of a mess as it was. _

Magnus shook that memory out of his mind. He had more pressing matters to worry about at the moment without wasting moments on her.

It was the last day of the break when Magnus sat down at the Ravenclaw table, across from Tessa, for the first time since the Yule Ball. He had been avoiding sitting there, knowing he would only receive daggers when met with Tessa's piercing gaze. But he couldn't wait any longer. He needed to talk to someone, anyone, who could help him talk to Alec. He would have gone to Izzy or Jace, seeing as they were closest to him, if he didn't think they would cut off his neck _before_ they permitted him to speak. But if Tessa didn't comply, he knew he would be one step closer to confronting them.

"Tessa," Magnus said cautiously as he sat down.

She ignored him. That or she didn't hear him. Either way, she kept her head down, eyes focused on her book, her hair falling around her face, acting as a wall between her and Magnus.

"Tessa…" he said again. When she didn't respond, yet again, he said "Tessa, please talk to me."

She sighed, clearly annoyed, and looked up from her book, glaring at Magnus the entire time. "Do you mind? I'm trying to read." And she lowered he head again.

"Tess, please, I need your help."

"Excuse me if I don't help cheaters, especially not ones who broke the heart of my friend," she replied, venom laced in every word she spoke.

"Tessa, just listen to me, please," he begged. "The last few days have been hell for me."

"Well that's good, considering…"

"Just hear me out, please," he interrupted.

Tessa considered him for a moment, her glare never subsiding. After a moment she closed her book and crossed her arms.

"Fine," she said.

"Really?" Magnus asked. He didn't think she would actually listen.

"Yes, but don't make me regret it."

Magnus took a deep breath. "I screwed up, Tess, I screwed up bad."

"I know _that_," she interjected. "Mind explaining your side of the story? Because I already heard Alec's, and based on that, you could very well be wasting my time."

Magnus wasn't surprised at what she said, though it did sting a little. Of course Alec told her what happened. The question was how much Alec told her, and how much Alec had seen.

"Well, um, how much did he say?" Magnus asked.

"Oh, you know, not much, other than the fact of how you were kissing your _ex_ on the night he came out to the school."

Magnus put his head in his hands. He imagined how it must have felt for Alec. He imagined his beautiful blue eyes filled with sadness and betrayal. Magnus hated how he was the cause of it.

"Any day now," Tessa reminded Magnus.

"Right," he replied, wondering how she could ever listen to what he had to say. He took another breath before he began:

"Well, we were inside, dancing, when Izzy came over and asked if her brother would dance with her. Well, _begged_ would be a better word, but Isabelle Lightwood isn't one to beg. But it worked, and as she pulled Alec away, I went to stand off to the side. I watched everyone dancing, and I saw Alec once, smiling and laughing as he twirled Izzy. He was beautiful that night," Magnus smiled slightly at the memory. "Not that he isn't usually beautiful, he was just _radiant_ that evening. But that's beside the point." He shook his head; he couldn't let himself get off track.

"It was then, as I stood there, that Camille came. He started talking about how she wanted to get back together with me, how Alec didn't matter. She was being ridiculous, and I told her how it wouldn't happen. I turned my head away from her, saying it was over, even though we already weren't dating for months, and she said something, but I don't remember exactly what. But it was right then when she turned my head and kissed me. And in pure instinct, I kissed her back, but it all felt wrong. I knew I shouldn't be doing that, that I was with Alec, and I pushed her off right then. But the damage was done. I let her kiss me for too long. I kissed her back, when my instinct _should_ have been to push her off right away. I shouted at her, before I looked up and saw Alec leaving. I immediately moved to follow, before she grabbed my hand. I pulled out of her grip, while she tried to convince me to stay, but I told her to leave me alone, and said some things I don't feel like repeating to you right now. I left, turning to follow Alec, but by the time I go out of the great Hall, he was gone. I called his name, but he didn't answer, and I don't know where the Ravenclaw common room so I couldn't follow him. I couldn't go apologize to him. I could only despise myself while I knew his heart must be breaking."

Magnus dropped his head, his hair falling in his face. He hadn't been spending as much time on his looks since that night. He just didn't have the energy to.

"I ruined everything," he continued. "If only I pushed her away right away. If only I pusher her away _before_ she kissed me." He looked up at Tessa. Her eyes were filled with hatred, though Magnus could tell it wasn't towards him. She glared at the Slytherin table before turning back to Magnus. Her features softened, and her eyes were filled with sadness and understanding.

"So, you didn't try to hurt Alec," she tested.

"No! I never would! I…" he paused. He wasn't sure if he should finish that statement. But after a quick moment, he decided he should. Why not? He already told Camille, and he'd be damned if she didn't tell _someone_ by now.

"I…I think I love him," he told Tessa.

Her expression softened even more. "Well, then yes, you did screw up immensely. And I still don't completely forgive you for what you did, but…" she began, pausing for a moment. "But, I'll help you," she decided.

Magnus perked up at that. He couldn't believe his luck. Maybe he wouldn't have to face Izzy and Jace's wrath just yet.

As if reading his mind, Tessa interrupted his thoughts. "But," she began. "You will probably still have to talk to Izzy or Jace at one point, seeing as they have been helping him avoid you. Not that I haven't as well, but you only 1/3 on your side. But for now…" She began to put her book in her bag, seeing as most of the other students were leaving. "Go to the Quidditch field at 3:00. He usually goes there to read under the stands, where he knows no one will look. Just… don't tell him I told you. Just try to talk to him, but don't get your hopes up. He won't be easily convinced, or trustworthy for that matter, at the moment."  
She picked up her bag and left Magnus sitting at the table. He looked over at the Gryffindor table, only to have his small hopes crushed again seeing as Alec had already left. He sighed and got his stuff together before standing up and to leave Great Hall.

At least he might get to talk to him later that day.

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Three o'clock couldn't come fast enough. The minutes seemed to drag on for Magnus, seeing as he had nothing else to do. He ended up walking around the lake for a couple of hours before lunch, where he sat at the Slytherin table with Raphael. Tessa requested that he shouldn't sit at the Ravenclaw table seeing as Jace, Alec, and Izzy might start to suspect something, and Magnus needed to make sure Alec didn't have the slightest idea that he knew where he would be later that day. If he did, no doubt he would end up somewhere else, and Magnus would have another missed opportunity.

Finally, around 2:45, Magnus headed towards the Quidditch field. It was freezing cold out there, but Magnus barely noticed. Besides having a good tolerance for extreme temperatures, Magnus had one thing on his mind so he didn't really notice much else.

When he reached the field, he looked at the many stands, realizing that he would have to look around most everyone if he didn't luck out and find Alec on the first try. He sighed and picked up the pace. He didn't mind the looking that much really; at least he knew Alec was here, rather than searching the whole school for someone who could very well be in his room. This way, he knew what lay at the end of the path; whether or not it was a good ending was what he was anxious to discover.

With his Slytherin scarf wrapped around his neck he began to search. He didn't find Alec under the first few stands, as expected, but Magnus could help but feel a little upset every time he came up with no results, just emptiness.

As he searched, he remembered the first task, when he had almost kissed Alec for the first time. It seemed so long ago, even though it hadn't even been two months yet. Everything had been so much better than, so simple. True, Alec had proved difficult to get close to, but it was better than this.

It was in the fifth stand, a Hufflepuff one, that Magnus finally found him. He was wearing his Ravenclaw hat and scarf, and he had a large, black winter jacket over his school robes. His checks were tinged with pink, and although he was practically bundled up from head to toe, Magnus still thought he was beautiful. It made the fact that he was hiding heartbreak behind those beautiful blue eyes all the more painful to accept.

He was reading a large book, complete lost in it, rubbing his hands together every now and then for extra heat. He didn't notice Magnus there, and Magnus wouldn't have minded if he could just watch him there for a while, no matter how stalker-like it might be. He had barely seen Alec over the past few days and he missed him. And he knew that the sooner he said something, the sooner Alec would pick up and leave again.

But he had to say something; he had to try to fix this. He had gone over what he would say countless times. He had imagined the countless scenarios as to how Alec would respond, and what to say or do if he responded negatively. Magnus was ready for this. At least, he was ready to try, to attempt to make Alec his again. The least he could hope for was that Alec would at least forgive him. But if not even that, then at least he knew he had tried. It was his fault anyways, and he didn't deserve Alec, he was convinced of it. And in the case Alec didn't forgive him, that he told him that they were done and that they wouldn't be together again, Magnus would turn all his emotions into hatred and use it to get back at Camille.

Preparing for the worst, he took a breath a stepped forward into the light, where he said loud and clear, but filled with all the emotion he held in his heart:

"Alexander."

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**Don't you guys love cliffhangers? **

**Don't hate me.**

**And I know I said the more reviews I get, the sooner they get back together _but, _sooner does not mean right away, its just sooner than I originally planned. That could mean next chapter, or in a few chapters. Also... I could mean story time... but I could drag that out with chapters... so really, you never know when they will get back together.**

**I know, I'm evil :)**

**Also, one last thing, I might not be able to update in a while. I'll try for the next two weekends, but if not, I wouldn't update till Thanksgiving break because I'm just really busy with school work and my school fall production is this month, so I'm going to have rehearsals soon that last from right after school till 10 p.m. So, I'm sorry I might not update for a while, but don't worry, the story isn't over. I know sometimes people will stop writing stories but I promise I won't do that. I will finish this, and I have ideas for other works of fanfiction (Malec of course), so after this is over, there will be more to look forward to. **

**Okay, until next time :)**

**And, thank you all for the reviews and follows, you guys are amazing :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Surprise! I wrote another chapter for you :) I know its shorter than my last few, but that's because originally this was supposed to have an extra scene but I decided to end it where I did in order to switch pov's. But anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**_  
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**However, I will now most likely not have the next chapter for a while. I'll try really hard to write it next weekend, however, if I can't, I'm afraid it will have to wait until Thanksgiving break. My school production goes on next week, and the week of I have to stay after till 10 p.m. every day, so I'm going to be way behind on homework. And then that weekend I have the shows so, yeah, I'm pretty busy. But, if I can't update next week, I hope you are willing to wait a few extra weeks. **

**But anyways, thank you guys so much :) **

**Oh, and I would like to thank RandomGeek19 for giving my story a shoutout :) You are awesome :)**

**Anyways, here's the next chapter :)**

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_Alec POV_

"Alexander," a familiar voice said, startling Alec to the point where he actually jumped at the sound. But he didn't turn his head to look at the direction the voice had come from. There was no need to, Alec knew who it was. And that's why he couldn't turn his head.

"Alexander…" Magnus said again. "Please… could you just look at me?"

And, despite what his conscious was telling him, he did.

There he was, the one person Alec had been avoiding; the person who, for the first day or two, kept him from leaving the Ravenclaw Tower for anything other than food in the kitchens; the person who he refused to look at whenever they passed in the halls; the boy who had him rushing out of the Great Hall as soon as he wolfed down enough food to satisfy his hunger. There he was, standing in front of him in black jeans and a blue sweater under his school robes and a Slytherin scarf wrapped around his neck, but it wasn't his clothes that caught Alec's eye. It was the fact that he seemingly had no makeup on, nothing to cover the dark circles under his eyes, nothing to cover and put a glamorous distraction from his gloomy demeanor. His normally spiked up and dyed hair was disheveled, not a touch of color in sight. It looked soft, like silk, and Alec had a brief longing to touch it, to run his fingers through it as he would have only a while ago, but the feeling was gone as soon as it had come. He couldn't feel that way, he shouldn't think about that, not when the other person didn't return those feelings. But looking at Magnus now, even though to Alec he looked as beautiful as ever, the signs of despair and gloom were clear as day. Could it be that Alec was the cause of this? No. Why would he be? It's not like he meant anything to him. So why did he look so sad?

_What is he even doing here?_ Alec wondered to himself. _How did he find me?_ Alec had only told Tessa, Izzy and Jace about this particular spot, not wanting too many people to know about it. So how did Magnus know? Did he, perhaps, accidently stumble across it, not even intending to find Alec there? No, that was highly improbable. He would have had to pick this particular stand, by chance, and walk around aimlessly to come across his little hiding spot. The chance of that happening was improbable. No, someone had to have told him, but who? And most importantly, why would Magnus be looking for him?

"How did you find me?" Alec asked, his voice soundly quieter then he intended. He kept his head down, refusing to look at Magnus in the eyes. He knew if he did, it would break him, and he didn't know what he would see in them when he did.

"Well, it took a lot of time, but I had to search through a couple of the other stands…" Magnus began, before Alec interrupted.

"No, how did you know I would even be at the Quidditch pitch? Did someone tell you?"

Magnus opened his mouth and closed it before turning his head down. Alec knew the answer to his question. He closed his book and stood up slowly.

"_Who_ told you, Magnus?" At this he looked Magnus in the eye, and was surprised to see those yellow-green irises so filled with sadness and desperation. It was too much to handle, but he had to get the answer to his question, and turning his head away was not the best approach. He had to appear demanding, so, rather than looking in the other direction, he settled for fixing his gaze on the bridge of Magnus's nose.

Magnus looked like he was having a war with himself. "They… they asked me not to say."

Alec crossed his arms. "Magnus…" he said, still not looking him in the eyes, even though his eyes stole quick glances every now and then. "Who. Told. You?"

Magnus sighed. "Damn those blue eyes," he said so softly that Alec wasn't sure he had heard him correctly. "It… it was Tess," he said clearly.

Alec closed his eyes and let his head drop. He had not expected that. He thought maybe Izzy would be the one of the three, attempting to get them back together, although, truth be told, if Izzy had been the one Magnus confronted, he would have turned up in a much worse state than this. Why did Tessa tell him? She was the one who saw how heart-broken he was that night; she knew how hurt he was. Why would she trust him? True, Tessa was the closest to Magnus in the group, besides Alec, before that night, but Alec thought she would have been last to say anything. Maybe she, like Izzy, wanted to solve the problem, mend Alec's heart. After all, she did have hope that it was all a misunderstanding. But still, Alec had trouble accepting that fact.

"If you're wondering why she told me…" Magnus began, breaking through Alec's cloud of thoughts. "I asked her to help me find you earlier today. At first she was reluctant to say anythi-"

"Wait, wait," Alec cut him off. "Why were you even looking for me?"

Magnus looked at him as if he was crazy for even asking that question, even though his eyes held an understanding look to them. "To see you, of course. I needed to talk to you…"

"Why?" Alec couldn't take it. "Don't you have a girlfriend to keep you company?" he snapped, though he knew the sadness in his words was clear. He turned his head away from Magnus; he couldn't look at him for another second.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Camille and I… we're not dating."

"Yeah, sure, like I'd believe that. If you're not dating, then why'd you kiss her at the Yule Ball? You know, when you _were_ dating me?" Alec responded, his tone sorrow, but his words still dripping with venom. "Yes Magnus, I saw you two. You know, you could have just told me you didn't want to date me anymore."

"Alec! That's _not_ what I want!"

"Really? Huh, could've fooled me."

"Alec, please, just listen. Camille, she's a bitch. At the Yule Ball, she started talking to me…"

"I don't care what she did! You kissed her!" Alec practically shouted at him. He felt his face turn red, but he didn't really care anymore.

"_She_ kissed _me_!"

"You kissed her back!" Alec snapped. "And don't say you didn't. I was there. I saw it."

"Yes, I know I did. But please, Alec, just let me explain…"

"No, Magnus, I don't think I will."

"Please Alec. I've missed you and…"

"Oh, you've missed me," Alec said, disbelief laced in his words. And he didn't even care if he was being harsh at the moment. Right then, all his emotions had come bubbling to the surface, everything that he had been holding back, and anger was at the top of that boiling pot. "I find that hard to believe, because, if you really did care about me that much, you wouldn't have kissed Camille in the first place! Did you even think of how I would feel? Do you know the hell you've put me through?"

"Alec, that's all I have been thinking about. Please…" He was practically begging at this point, but Alec was having none of it.

"And to think I actually thought you cared about me," Alec said, watching the effect the words had on Magnus. He looked as if someone had just shot him, but as believable as it looked, Alec knew it was all an act. Everything with Magnus was an act. "I thought that, for once, I actually mattered. I thought I was special, that I was so lucky because someone like you actually like _me_." He let out a bitter chuckle. "But I was wrong, wasn't I? Of course you would pick someone else. Someone better. There's always someone better. Why did you even date me in the first place? What were you thinking? Was I just some charity cause for you? Just a fun game? That's it, isn't it? Get the shy virgin out of the closet."

"Alec, stop, please." Magnus said. He had walked up to Alec while he talked, closing the distance between them. He had grabbed Alec's face between his hands, and he was looking intently at him, locking their gazes. "Don't talk about yourself that way. How could you ever think about yourself like that?"

Alec felt like he would get lost in his eyes, despite the situation. _No, stop it,_ he told himself, pulling out of Magnus's grasp. He couldn't afford for that to happen, not right now.

"Don't act like it's not true. All my life, I've lived in the shadows of those younger than me. Who would remember plain old Alec Lightwood when his best friend was the star of the school? Or when his sister was the hottest girl in the castle? What did he have to offer? But then you came along, and for once, I wasn't in anyone's shadow, only to have it all taken away. I don't even know why you're even here with me right now. It's not like you care."

"Alec, don't you understand? I do care." Magnus turned Alec's head to face him again. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I care about you too much for my own good"

Alec didn't understand what Magnus was telling him. It made no sense! "Then why…"

"Because I was stupid Alec!" Magnus exclaimed. "I made what was possibly the biggest mistake in my life so far when I kissed that she-demon back. I should have pushed her off of me right away; I shouldn't even have let her get as close as she did. But I didn't. My body reacted before my mind did, it acted on instinct, and I… I kissed her back. But it felt wrong. Oh, Alec, it felt so wrong, because she wasn't you. I shouldn't have been kissing anyone but you. I knew in my heart that you're the only one. And that's when I did push her off. But I was too late, the damage was done." He looked down at his feet and took a deep breath. "I saw you leave the Great Hall." He looked up at Alec again, his eyes starting to water, just a little bit, barely noticeable, but that meant a lot from Magnus, who usually kept his feelings locked up tight. "I… I tried to follow you, but by the time I got out, you were gone. I didn't know which way to go, and I called your name but you were too far to hear. And I knew I had lost you." He let his head drop again. "And it was my fault. I knew I had broken your heart, but there was nothing I could do, and I hated that, and I hated myself for it. I should have never kissed her back. I was so stupid. Why did I kiss her back? Why didn't I push her off? Why did I even let her talk to me, especially when she was trying to get me back? Why, when I had you?" Alec's heart felt like it was going to explode at his words. "Alexander, you're too good for me. You're perfect in every way, and I hate it when you tell yourself otherwise. But your humbleness is just another wonderful piece of you. I don't deserve you, and I was stupid enough to make the mistake that pushed you away from me. I know how the past week or so has been for you, because it's been the same for me. I missed having you by my side, and knowing I was the cause for your absence made it so much harder on me. I'm so sorry, Alec. And I know I don't deserve your apology, but I need it."

Alec was speechless. He didn't know to say to that, it was the least likely thing he expected Magnus to say. Everything he said made his heart swell, and as much as he wanted to just jump into Magnus's arms and take him back, his heart and mind still remembered the pain. He wasn't ready to go back, for fear of it happening again. He couldn't take that risk.

Magnus was looking at him intently, waiting for him to answer whilst searching his face for any clues that could give it away. When he realized Alec wasn't going to answer any time soon, he sighed. "Please Alec. Please, just answer me. Even if you end it right now, even if you say you could never forgive me, please, just give me an answer. I need to know because…" he trailed off, looking at Alec hopefully, but also worried. And there was a sense of… uncertainty, which was so unlike him, Alec could only wonder what was going on in his head.

"Because… what?" Alec asked curiously.

Magnus closed his eyes, probably in thought. After a moment, he appeared to have made a decision. He took a shaky breath and opened his eyes, his gaze meeting Alec's. Alec locked his eyes with Magnus's unwavering ones, feeling as he was looking directly into Magnus's heart, as he heard the next few words uttered from Magnus's lips, words filled with more emotion and honesty than he had heard in any statement before in his life.

"Because, Alexander… I think I'm in love with you."

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**Awe, a little cute end :)**

**But don't get too comfortable...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Surprise (again)! The next chapter is here and, as short as it may be, it's out extra early :) **

**I'm afraid this is the last surprise chapter you guys will get. Like I said on previous chapters, I might get to write this weekend, but if not, I won't be back for another two weeks. I'm sorry you guys will have to wait that long, but at least I got another chapter out before then, right? **

**In other news, whose excited for The Bane Chronicles? And the Malec moments we get in it! I can't wait till I get my hands on it :)**

**Okay, anyways, I hope you enjoy :)**

**Oh, one last thing, there was one line of Taylor Swift's song "Blank Space" that kept coming back in my head while I was writing this. I forgot what it was though... I'm sure I'll remember soon enough.**

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_Magnus POV_

"Because, Alexander… I think I'm in love with you."

The phrase hung over them in the air, and the word 'love' seemed to echo off the walls, over and over. Nothing else seemed to make a sound, and the next few seconds felt like they were going on forever as Magnus waited more Alec to say something, _anything_, in response; a shout, a whisper, an end. He needed him to _do_ something, even if that something was to walk away. He would have settled for just a simple move or gesture, a nod of the head, or a headshake, a hug…

A kiss.

He immediately shut that idea down. It was too much to hope for.

Their gazes were locked, hopeful, yet sad, yellow-green eyes searching blue ones filled with surprise. Magnus watched Alec as he seemed to be at a constant battle with himself, emotions across his face by with every shift in expression. Magnus had no idea what he was thinking, and it was killing him. A bit of Alec's ebony hair fell in his face, and Magnus longed to brush it away, but he didn't. He knew it wasn't the right time for that. He was worried that any movement, or thereby lack of, would push Alec away. So he remained still, waiting desperately for the next words Alec would say.

"Please, Alec, please say something," Magnus pleaded. He knew he looked so hopeless, so unlike himself, but he didn't care about that. Nothing else but Alec mattered at the moment. "Don't leave me hanging," he added with a small, forced chuckle. "Please…"

He trailed off and watched as Alec suddenly dropped his head, his hair falling in his face, shielding his eyes from Magnus. Alec let out a sigh and said something so quietly that Magnus couldn't hear him.

"What?" Magnus said as cautiously and softly as he could. He watched the boy in front of him, anxious and scared about what he would say next.

Alec just shook his head. "I… God I'm going to regret this… I…" He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it more ruffled than before, and in no way helping with the tingling in Magnus's fingers that came with the need to run his own fingers through it. Alec took a deep breath before continuing, "I… I think I… might… I might be in love with you too…"

Magnus could barely comprehend what he was hearing; it was too good to believe. He thought Alec hated him after that night, and rightly so, too. If Alec had just left him right then and there, true he would have been heartbroken, but he would have understood, seeing as he wasn't the first of the two to get their heart shattered in this relationship. He would have had to deal with the fact that he would have to move on from him, as difficult as it would be.

But he didn't walk away; he didn't end everything. He had done the exact opposite. He stayed right where he was and repeated the same message Magnus had given him. His heart swelled with relief and joy the moment the words left Alec's lips.

When Alec lifted his head to look at Magnus in the eyes, Magnus prepared himself for the worst as he searched his eyes for something he knew wouldn't be there: a sign that he was lying. But nothing Alec ever said was a lie, and Magnus knew that. So when all he was met with were eyes that held the truth, Magnus was so overwhelmed that he didn't notice the flicker of something else swimming in that mind. Instead, in the space of a second, he placed his hands on the sides of Alec's face and leaned in, eyes slipping shut, closing what little space there was between them…

"But…"

The word cut through Magnus's daze like a knife, and he felt Alec slip from his grasp, stepping away from him, leaving a few feet in between them. The space was small, but it felt like he was a world away. Magnus could practically see the walls forming up around Alec again.

Magnus felt his heart fall, felt it shatter all over again as he crashed back to reality. He tried not to let it show, but he knew it was only too obvious. He let out a soft sigh, the smile that had formed only seconds ago slipped away, and his shoulders slumped.

"But… what?" he couldn't keep himself from asking, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"But… I-I can't, Magnus." Alec turned his head away from Magnus.

"You can't what?"

"I can't do…" he gestured between the two of them. "… this." He sighed again, audibly. "I-I can't… I…Magnus, you don't know how much I want to. I want to jump back into what we had. I want to run into your embrace, I want to feel your arms around me, your lips pressed against mine. I want to feel safe and happy with you again. I want to leave the past days in the past."

"Then why don't you?" Magnus asked confused, even though he had a hunch as to what he should expect.

"Because I can't!" He put his head in his hands, briefly, before looking back up, shaking his head softly. "You hurt me, Magnus. You kissed someone else, and I felt used, betrayed. I felt worthless, wondering what I did wrong. How did I mess up something so good in my life? I couldn't figure out why I had been so stupid as to think you ever liked me. You put me through hell." He locked his eyes with Magnus and kept them there, unwavering. "And as much as I want to believe you won't do it again, how can I be sure? How can I be sure that I won't have to relive this experience? The answer, I'm afraid, is that I can't."

Every word he said tore Magnus's heart out of his chest bit by bit. Magnus wanted, no, he _needed_ to assure Alec that he wouldn't do it again. He knew he wouldn't and it was torture to watch Alec like this, so convinced that he might make the same mistake again. But no, Alec wasn't done. He couldn't afford to further distance Alec from him, so he kept his mouth shut.

"I'm not ready to fall headfirst into this again, Magnus. I can't do that to myself. Everything is still so fresh in my mind, and… I don't trust you the way I once did. I'm. Not. Ready. No matter how much I wish I was, I'm not. I'm so sorry, Magnus."

Alec turned to walk away, picking his book up in the process, but Magnus had other ideas. He quickly closed the distance between them, and he lightly grabbed Alec's hand and turned him around. This was NOT happening. He had finally found him, he poured his heart out to him, and Alec even told Magnus that he loved him too. He couldn't leave at that moment; he couldn't just end it, could he?

The blue he met was filled with sadness as it focused on Magnus. Magnus knew his own eyes looked the same; he just hoped that Alec would be able to see it.

"Alec, I would never intentionally do anything to harm or hurt you in any way, I can promise you that," Magnus said, keeping his gaze determinedly still. "Alec, you are perfect in every way. You are beautiful, funny, adorable, kind, smart, and everything to me. That's why I fell for you, not because I was bored or that it would be a fun experiment, a little game, or a charity event. You truly are amazing, and I love every part of you; your smile and how it lights up your face, your laugh and its angelic sound that comes out whenever I get you to laugh. Your adorable blush that creeps up on your delicate pale, your passion and protectiveness for the people you love. Your beautiful blue eyes that I could get lost in for the rest of my life, your silky smooth black hair, even if it falls in your face to hide your eyes from me." Magnus watched as Alec dropped his head again. "…like right now." He smiled to himself for a brief moment at Alec's usual adorableness, despite how frustrating it was at the moment. "All of that and more add up to the wonderful person in front of me right now."

"I'm not any of that," Alec interjected, looking up at him, his voice small. "You make it sound like I'm some angel from heaven."

"That's because you are, at least to me," Magnus countered. "And I find it so unbelievable that you don't see it and it makes me so frustrated at whoever put the idea in your head that you are anything but amazing. But, I guess if you did know how great you were, there's a small chance that you would have ended up like Goldilocks, and we can't have another one of him running around here, can we?" Magnus grinned a little when he saw Alec smile softly and shake with a silent laughter. "But you didn't turn out that way, and instead you turned out better. And I was stupid enough to make the mistake that would push you away from me." He breathed in. "I promise I would never do anything to harm you knowingly. I have never felt this way for anyone else. In truth, I don't know what to do about it. It's a scary feeling, being in love, but it feels so right and I wouldn't change it for anything."

Alec had remained silent after Magnus's last few words, staring at Magnus with wide eyes.

"I know I don't deserve you; I know I shouldn't ask this of you… But, please, Alec, could you give me a second chance? Please?" Magnus begged him.

"I can't. Magnus, I'm so, so sorry," he responded, sadly shaking his head side to side.

"Please, could you please try? Let _me_ try to fix this?"

Alec just continued to shake his head sadly, looking down at his feet.

"Didn't you just say that you loved me too?" Magnus asked, a little impatiently.

"I know I did, and I wasn't lying when I said it," Alec replied. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm just not ready for this. I can't… I just can't."

"Is there any chance for the future?" Magnus asked him hopefully.

Alec looked up at him one last time. "I-Maybe… in the future… I just need time first."

He turned his head down again and slowly moved closer to Magnus, his eyes slipping shut. Magnus slowly wrapped his arms around Alec, relishing in the feeling of having him in his arms again. True, he wished they were officially back together, but at least they weren't really over. He still had a chance. And for Alec, he was willing to wait as long as he needed if it meant he would be with him again.

"I'll wait for you," Magnus whispered softly, feeling Alec shudder slightly. He placed a small kiss on Alec's forehead with his eyes closed, and he was sure he dragged it out for too long, but he didn't care. It might be the only he could give in a while, maybe even the last, period. _Don't think that way_, he scolded himself. "I'll be here waiting for you when you're ready."

Alec let out a sigh of relief, but he didn't say anything. He kept his eyes closed for a brief moment before opening them as he stepped out of Magnus's embrace, peeling Magnus's arms off of him. He backed away, turned around and started walking away from Magnus, his book in hand.

He looked back for a moment, guilt and sadness and hurt written all over his face. "I'm sorry," he said one last time.

"It's okay, darling," Magnus replied, testing his luck with a small grin.

He saw Alec give a small smile before he turned away and walked toward the exit, leaving Magnus alone with his thoughts, reliving what had just occurred. He listened to the sound of Alec's footsteps becoming fainter and fainter until he couldn't hear anything but the wind. He sighed to himself and started to make his way out of the stands.

It seemed his heart would stay broken. It was like there was tape over it now, holding the pieces together before someone came with the glue. But it could fall apart as easily as it could be mended.

But, for now, it would have to remain shattered.

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**"I can make all the tables turn."**

**Ah that's what the line was. **

**Yep, that describes me right now :) *insert evil laugh here***

**Anyways, I'll have another update for you within the next two and a half weeks. **

**Sorry to leave you at this...**


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